PELHAM – The Pelham City Council approved a resolution rejecting all of the bids submitted for the Old Asheville Road at Bearden Road intersection realignment project at a meeting on Monday, Aug. 6. The project will be rebid at a later date.

Council President Rick Hayes said the bids for the project were much higher than anticipated. City Manager Gretchen DiFante added that the bids were about twice what was originally estimated.

The project will allow the city to provide residents with better access to Pelham Park Middle School from Bearden Road. The southern portion of Old Asheville Road will be realigned to allow sufficient space for turn lanes to be added. To make space for the turn lanes, the warehouse-like building that was at 320 Bearden Road has been torn down.

“We’re not recommending that we don’t do it, but because of supply and demand issues – with the work being done on U.S. 31 and Interstate 65 right now and just the time of year on top of that – asphalt is very expensive right now,” DiFante said. “The work done to install it is expensive right now and so it was just kind of like the perfect storm when we bid it out.”

By waiting a few months, DiFante said the city should be able to get bids that are closer to the original estimate.

“It’s just a matter of timing,” she said. “As we get into the fall the cost should go down.”

Council President Rick Hayes said the city may have to do some patchwork on the road to get by until the project can be completed.