Fiber install set to begin for Oakesdale-Tekoa line

The Port of Whitman County accepted a bid for construction of a fiber optics line from Oakesdale to Tekoa Thursday, Aug. 3. Five bids were received, ranging from $49,727.33 – the accepted bid – to more than $1 million.

“There was a wide range of bids,” said Kara Riebold, Port staffer.

“And you’re sure nothing was left out?” asked Commissioner Tom Kammerzell, noting his concern over the discrepancy between the low and high bids.

Riebold indicated that nothing was left out of any bid proposal, and the high bid came from a newer company.

“That high outlier has never done a project with the Port of Whitman,” she said. “It’s a new company, so I’m not surprised the bid was so high.”

Debbie Snell, Port properties and development manager, said the high bidder was from a western Washington company that was “new to bidding on this side of the state.”

The bid package was awarded to Summit Utility Contractors of Lewiston, which has worked for the port before for fiber installation.

“Summit is often our lowest bidder,” said Riebold. “They’ve done large projects for us. I’m not concerned at all.”

The project is expected to get underway next week after a pre-construction meeting with the county. The project will install less than 10 miles of fiber optics 1 ¼ inch duct which can easily contain 288 strands of fiber.

“A lot of capacity,” Port Executive Director Joe Poiré commented at a previous Port meeting.

The fiber, which the Port is providing for the project, will stem from the Spokane to Clarkston line that already passes through Oakesdale.

The new fiber will begin at the intersection of Highway 27 and Henry Street, following Henry to Washington Street to Bartlet Street to Sheep Road, and then Old Sheep Road which turns into I N Balthis Road.

The line will then briefly follow Warner Road to Fanning Road and then to Sienknecht Road, Fanning Road, Tom Norton Road, Bancroft Road, Mesterman Road, Futter Road and then Highway 27 into Tekoa where it becomes Ramsey.

Once in Tekoa, the line will take Main Street for half a block and will go down the alley to Warren Street to Broadway to Connell Street to Howard Road to Seaman Road to Crosby to Poplar.

The line will then continue along Poplar outside city limits where it becomes WA-274 and comes to an end at the state line.

The Port plans to lease the fiber to a telecommunications business, which will then sell the service to individuals and businesses.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to lease it out to multiple, but we haven’t signed any leases yet,” said Riebold.

The line is expected to increase broadband internet access opportunities to Oakesdale and Tekoa.

Riebold said that those opportunities will only be available once the line is constructed and it is leased out to a telecommunications company or companies.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 31.