De Queen still looking for contractors to do street work

Maybe the third time will be a charm for city of De Queen, Ark., in finding contractors for needed street work.
De Queen has financially qualified and been approved by the state highway department to put the street repairs out to bid twice, but it received no bids from contractors, De Queen Mayor Billy Ray McKelvy said.
"Last year the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department approved De Queen for its State Aid for City Streets program, however, approval was the easy part. De Queen's street project has been advertised twice but so far has attracted no bidders."
McKelvy said state residents have already shown their support for the program with their votes.
"A few years ago Arkansas voters approved a temporary one-half percent sales tax for highways. With that revenue, the highway department funded a State Aid for City Streets program. Any Arkansas city can apply for the state aid program and approval is easy as long as streets qualify," McKelvy said.
De Queen applied for the program in late 2014 and last year received approval for $250,000 worth of asphalt paving.
De Queen's street program was combined with two other western Arkansas towns-Wickes and Cove-in a single project. Bids were opened in March and again in May, but there were no bidders, he said.
"I thought three cities and a total of $750,000 would get some contractor's attention, but it didn't," he said.
"I talked to the highway department, and if we don't get a bid the third time, they will negotiate with contractors to see what it would take to pave the streets."
The project is a "great deal" for the cities, he said.
"It's a simple process for the cities. The state takes care of the bidding and the highway department writes the checks for the contractors," McKelvy said.
The state highway department also approves and inspects the work.
"Bids on De Queen's street paving will be advertised again for an August bid opening. If there are no bidders, the project will be rolled into 2017, and the highway department may negotiate with contractors to get the project going," he said.
The city had planned to spend $85,000 of city funds in addition to the state aid. That local money will be used to improve north Ninth Street in the area of Robinson Road and from U.S. Highway 70 to Maple Avenue. That work is under way now.
"Contractors have become so specialized. I guess they have to have the right size job and have the equipment. Now (if only) we can find the contractors," McKelvy said.