Skagit County Public Works opened sealed bids for the Skagit River Marble Mount Bridge project and reported four submissions, with an apparent low bid of $9,491,406 from Stellar J.

The engineer's estimate for the bridge project was stated as between $10,048,500 and $11,723,250, and staff said one addendum had been issued for the solicitation. Public Works said it will review all proposals for accuracy and responsiveness and will make a future recommendation to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners for a possible award.

At the bid opening, a Skagit County Public Works staff member (assisted by Bethany Zimmerman) read the bids aloud. The bids and totals read into the record were: Southern Road And Bridge LLC — $10,290,502; VMS Painting Company Incorporated — $11,486,990; Combined Construction Incorporated — $10,341,092; and Stellar J — $9,491,406. Officials told attendees the apparent low bidder is Stellar J but cautioned that contract award is contingent on a county review confirming the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

The county also confirmed that required submittals were included with each proposal as read into the record: acknowledgment of addendum number 1, proposal bonds, non-collusion declarations, disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) utilization certifications, and certifications of compliance with wage-payment statutes.

This proceeding was a public bid opening, not a contract award. No motion to award or formal vote was taken at the session; county staff described the next step as an internal review followed by a recommendation to the board for possible award.

Skagit County did not specify funding sources, an exact award timetable, or the names of any bidder representatives at the opening. The county read addresses for some bidders but did not provide additional contract terms or a project schedule at the opening.