ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council recently named the contractor that the city will pay to carry out a requested street resurfacing project.
On Feb. 17, the council unanimously awarded lowest-bidder NJR Group, Inc. as the project contractor with a total bid package of $768,553.50.
NJR Group is a New London-based, full-service industrial construction company that has specialized for the past decade in working on highways, roadways, airports, railroads, along with both commercial and residential construction.
Just last year, NJR Group was given a $2.3 million contract from the North Carolina Department of Transportation to bring improvements to nearly nine miles of roads in Cabarrus County.
In 2024, NJR was also responsible for revamping an alleyway in downtown Albemarle — stretching from West Main Street to King Avenue — that was officially rebranded into Courthouse Plaza, the city’s newest public gathering space.
The company is now tasked with leading Albemarle’s street resurfacing project which will cover a 1.86-mile combined distance on Bird Road, Cannon Avenue, Louise Lane, Brittany Court, Amanda Drive, Lauras Lane, Cardinal Drive, Kingsley Drive, and Old Charlotte Road.
While bids were originally opened on Jan. 16, no bids were received in the process, therefore requiring a re-bid.
After the project was re-advertised, two contractors submitted bids for the project on Feb. 3. The low bid ($616,829) for the base bid belonged to NJR Group, Inc., while second bidder JT Russell and Sons, Inc. submitted a base bid nearly $75,000 higher at $691,243.
Mayor Pro Tem Martha Sue Hall inquired into the project’s timetable.
“It’s 120 days once the notice to proceed has been given to the contract,” said Ross Holshouser, Albemarle’s public works director. “Once the notice to proceed is given to the contractor, they’re on the clock.”
“Today is Feb. 17, and this is for this fiscal year. If they’re not done, then we go into next year. I just want to stay within the budget year if at all possible,” Hall said.
Holshouser said that it was “going to be close.”
“We hope 120 days is plenty of time — originally it was 90 days,” he added.
Based on a pavement maintenance plan street list released by the Albemarle Public Works Department, the resurfacing project is divided up into five groups and 22 sections.
The Albemarle City Council is set to meet again on March 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.