Several Hundred Attend Opening of Bids on 17 Highway Projects

Between 250 and 300 contractors or their representatives swarmed the second floor of the state office building Thursday morning to present bids on the 17 projects, providing for the construction of some 60 miles of the South Carolina state highway system, eight bridges of varied types, and two culverts, on which bids were opened by the state highway department, Ben M. Sawyer, chief commissioner at the new departmental offices at 11 o’clock. The bids were presented in such large numbers on each project that the opening was continued into the afternoon, and the results will probably required several days for compiling and tabulation.

The large reception room included in the quarters occupied by the office division was crowded to more that capacity, and the overflow stood packed in the hallway, while others were forced to offices and other parts of the building to find comfortable places to await their turns.

The contracts for which bids were proposed Thursday are:

Aiken county: for construction of 6.178 miles of Route 121, beginning at Wagener and extending to Horsey’s bridge.

Clarendon county: for the construction of 8.521 miles of Routes 4 and 30, beginning at the end of Project 252 and extending to Sumerton.

Edgefield county: for the construction of a reinforced concrete and steel bridge over Turkey creek on Route 21.

Clarendon county: for the construction of a treated timber bridge of eight 15 foot spans.

Fairfield county: for the construction of 3.38 miles of Route 22, beginning at the end of Project S 627-B and extending toward Great Falls.

Fairfield county: for the construction of a triple 12 by 12 culvert, a triple 10 by 12 culvert, and a reinforced concrete bridge over Wateree creek.

Fairfield county: for the construction of 7.98 miles of Route 161, beginning at Salem Cross Roads, and extending to survey station No. 420-00.

Fairfield county: for the construction of 2 miles of Route 22, beginning at the city limits of Winnsboro, and extending to the beginning of Project 627-B.

Fairfield county: for the construction of 6.77 miles of Route 22, beginning at Strothers and extending to Salem Cross Roads.

Georgetown county: for the construction of 10.909 miles of Route 40, a section between Black river and Pee Dee river.

Georgetown county: for the construction of 3 treated timber bridges, two of five 15 foot spans and one of six 15 foot spans.

Kershaw county: for the construction of an overhead bridge on Route 50 near Blaney.

Lexington county: for the construction of 12.14 miles of Route 6 between Edmund and Swansea.

Kershaw county: for the finishing of the construction of 3.143 miles on Route 121.

Oconee county: for the construction of 6.972 miles of Route 2, beginning at end of payment near Seneca and extending to Walhalla.

Orangeburg county: for the construction of 10.325 miles of Route 30, beginning at end of Project 115-B and extending to Pinckney’s Landing.

Orangeburg county: for the construction of a 2 reinforced concrete bridge of three 22 foot spans at Station 552.

No announcements were made by the highway officials as to low bidders of the awarding of contracts, other than to state that the large number of bids received would necessitate several days, in all probability, for compilation. The department under the provisions of the Contracts, has 30 days in which o consider the bids before awarding contracts and reserves the right to reject any or all bids.