All the bids on a Dorchester paving project that was expected to cost about $350,000 came in more than twice that amount, and so public works staff are regrouping, looking for more funding from the province.

Town Engineer Jon Eppell told council on Tuesday that his department has asked the provincial department of transportation and infrastructure (DTI) to consider doubling the funding allowed for the project. “They advised us that they would entertain a request,” said Eppell.

The proposed project was for the resurfacing of a 310 metre stretch of Highway 106 starting at the former Village limit, and also the replacement of two culverts under the road.

The 106 is a provincially designated highway, which means the province covers the cost of maintenance, on an annual budgeted basis. The work is still coordinated and planned by the municipality, which then requests funding from the province. In this case, the amount requested and approved was less than half what contractors bid on the project. Eppell says there are a number of possible reasons for that.

“We are just seeing really surprising inflation from contractors the last few years,” said Eppell after Tuesday’s meeting. “And I think we’re also getting hit with the time of year where the contractors are busy. Their order books are filling up. And so they’re not interested in trying to do things perhaps at the usual rates that we might have seen earlier in the year.”

Eppell says he expects to hear from DTI next week on whether they can essentially double their funding of the project. If they do, council will reconvene for a special meeting to award the tender. If they don’t, the resurfacing project could be on hold until next spring.

Meanwhile the municipality is undertaking a large amount of roadwork this year, including Dorchester repaving projects that are budgeted under the Canada Community Building Fund, also known as the gas tax.