(KNZA)--Bids were opened Monday during the Brown County Commission meeting for a bridge replacement project on 170th Street, about two miles southwest of Powhattan.

Two contractors submitted bids for the removal and replacement of the existing bridge.

B & B Bridge Company of St. Paul, Kansas, submitted the apparent low bid at $767,480. Ebert Construction of Wamego submitted a bid of $810,602.  Both bids came in well below the engineer’s estimate, which was nearly $972,000 dollars.

No action was taken on the bids at Monday’s meeting. The project engineer, Brady Hedstrom with BG Consultants, will review the proposals and provide a recommendation to the commissioners.

If awarded, the selected contractor is to begin construction by November 2nd of this year.