County Drainage Board awards Emma Koontz Ditch Reconstruction project to Allsop Construction

Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 2:00 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The two bids received for the reconstruction project on the Emma Kuntz Ditch at Lake of the Woods were drastically different.

Monday morning the Marshall County Drainage Board opened bids for the project that will reconstruct approximately 560 feet of the ditch from the shoreline to a culvert located at the east side of West Shore Drive. Approximately 18 inches of accumulated sediment will be removed from the ditch and immediately hauled offsite to the approved location. Work is to be completed by April 1, 2025.

Sealed bids were opened by County Surveyor Craig Cultice on Monday. Allsop Construction provided a bid of $5,900 while Beaver Excavating’s bid was $21,500.

Initially the Drainage Board tabled the bids to allow time to review the bids to be sure they met specifications. During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, a representative from Allsop said with the dry weather and lower level of the lake, they don’t need large equipment to get the job done. They were also asked about hauling the spoils offsite to the selected location and they assured the Drainage Board the work would be completed as required.

The Marshall County Drainage Board unanimously approved the low bid of Allsop to the reconstruction of the Emma Kuntz Ditch at Lake of the Woods between 4^th Road and Lipton Street on the southwest side of the lake.