Isemoto submits low bids for bypass project

Bids to complete the Mamalahoa bypass came in slightly higher than Hawaii County officials had estimated they would.

But bids for the second half of the project, building a new intersection at the Napoopoo Road junction with Mamalahoa Highway, came in slightly lower than estimates.

Isemoto Contracting Co. Ltd. had the lowest bids for both portions of the project. For the bypass road, running from Halekii Street to Napoopoo junction, companies were asked to consider the cost of asphalt and a Portland cement concrete. Isemoto officials estimated $13.5 million for an asphalt road or $14.8 million for a Portland cement concrete surface. For the intersection work, Isemoto officials submitted a bid of $13.1 million.

Goodfellow Bros. submitted the second-lowest bids, with $15.8 million for an asphalt surface and $16.4 million for a Portland cement concrete. They bid $13.7 for the intersection work.

Nan Inc. had the highest bids, with $20.4 million for an asphalt surface road, $22.9 million for a concrete one and $14.6 million for the intersection. Honolulu-based Drayko Construction Inc. submitted a bid of $13.4 million for the intersection work.

County officials estimated the bypass road to cost about $12.5 million, and the intersection to cost about $14 million. Those figures are lower than earlier estimates, stated during court hearings several years ago, of costs up to $36 million for the entire project.

“We’re evaluating them now, checking the math, checking the contracts,” Public Works Director Warren Lee said Monday.

He said it could be a few months before construction begins on the project.

Hawaii County officials are still waiting for a federal bankruptcy judge to rule on whether the county may proceed with foreclosure procedures on 80 lots. The county has a mortgage on the property, which was used to secure $20 million owed because developers failed to complete the bypass road.