BLUE EARTH - Blue Earth City Council has voted to hire a new company to finish construction on Tenth and Moore streets, and it will cost a little more.
Cink Excavating originally was hired to fix the streets, but has since gone out of business, said City Administrator Kathy Bailey.
"They were released from the contract after completion of the first lift," said Bailey, noting that the "first lift" is a base coat of asphalt.
The council has hired Southern Minnesota Construction of Mankato to finish the wearcourse that goes on top, "the driving pavement," Bailey explained.
City Engineer William Sayre informed the council that SMC's bid was about 25 percent, or $11,000, higher than Cink's. Council member Paula Kelly asked where the money would come from.
"That will be part of the bonding," Bailey answered.
The original bond included some contingency funds for situations like this, she added.
The project began in late summer 2009, and was expected to be completed last fall, but rainy weather set back the work and it was delayed until 2010.
"This will be the last piece of the project," said Bailey, noting completion depends on when the contractor can work it into the schedule.
"They will lay all of that street in a day," she said, meaning the project could be done before the end of the month. "It will happen before winter."