A taxiway extension project at the Powell Municipal Airport — originally slated to be finished this summer — won’t be completed until next spring after contractor bids came in considerably higher than the engineer’s estimates.

The City of Powell had secured state and federal funding to pay for the bulk of a taxiway extension. The project is intended to create more safety for arriving and departing aircraft. Currently, pilots departing runway 13 must taxi onto the runway and turn around at the end to get lined up for takeoff.

While pilots announce their departure over radio, arriving pilots don’t always receive the communications. It could create a hazard if the arriving pilot comes in and doesn’t see the departing aircraft taxiing on the runway.

The project — which would extend the taxiway to the end of runway 13 — was estimated to cost $757,500. However, Nicholson Dirt Contracting out of Cody bid $1.1 million, and Mountain Construction Company of Lovell bid $1.2 million.

The project was funded primarily from the Federal Aviation Administration, and the FAA indicated there were no extra funds to cover the overage of the bids.

Dave Shultz with Sage Engineering told the Powell City Council they had expected a better response to the invitation to bid.

“Two bidders isn’t a good showing by any means,” Shultz said. “Here we were thinking with this whole COVID thing, maybe the contractors would be hungry.”

Shultz said it was the cost of pavement and base course that put the bidders over the engineer’s estimate, and he recommended the city reject the bids. He suggested rebidding the work in the first part of July in order to take advantage of other funding opportunities from the FAA to cover the project.

Shultz also said it would be a good idea to specify that the project be completed next spring; the chosen contractor could then do the earthwork this year and complete the paving next season. Bidding so late in the year with a fall deadline, he said, would dissuade contractors from bidding.

The council voted to reject the two bids received and authorized city staff to rebid the project. City Administrator Zack Thorington said the FAA will cover the advertising costs of rebidding the job.

“This is a great project,” Shultz said. “Getting that parallel taxiway complete is important for safety out there and is a long time coming.”