Bids on improving an El Paso County road have revived debate over whether private contractors can do construction work cheaper than the government.

Contracting out the chip seal of 13.2 miles of Myers Road would have cost 2.5 times the $750,000 budgeted.

Chip seal is a thin layer of oil and gravel resembling asphalt.

The county rejected both bids received and said county crews will do the work within budget.

“Can’t be done, I can tell you that,” said Danny Tezak, owner of Tezak Heavy Equipment of Cañon City, which bid $2 million.

The other bid, for $1.9 million, came from Rocky Mountain Materials and Asphalt, of Colorado Springs.

County public services Director Tim Wolken said the county can do the job at “significant cost savings” by not accounting for labor and other overhead costs.

But Tezak said the two bidders estimated the gravel alone will cost $452,000 to $581,000, with the cost of the asphalt at $431,000 to $451,000.

He also questioned whether the county would grade the road and embankment, install fences and meet all the other specifications contractors were required to bid – all for $750,000.

Ron Murphy of P.C. Murphy & Associates, who’s estimated federal and state projects, agreed with Tezak that the county’s true cost will far exceed $750,000.

Rob Mangone, vice president of Rocky Mountain Materials, said the county has a good track record for farming out work to contractors.

But he doubted the county can do the same work for $750,000 that private contractors bid $2 million on.

“They probably won’t be doing as much,” Mangone said.

–

Call the writer at 636-0238.

In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, Zachary Quinto stars as Spock in a scene from, “Star Trek.” Photo by (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures)

AP