Bainbridge city officials approved a $1.3 million contract last week for road shoulder improvements along Miller Road and Fletcher Bay Road.

The city council unanimously awarded the construction bid for the road work to Titan Earthwork.

Bids for the road project were opened June 22. Titan Earthwork, a heavy construction firm based in Pacific, was the only bidder for the project.

The city engineer’s estimate for the work was $1.1 million ($747,242 for Miller Road, and $371,680 for Fletcher Bay Road). The contract amount is $1,376,058.

The contract was higher than what has been estimated for the work, and city officials noted a budget amendment would be necessary. The vote by the council included an additional $47,000 for contingency funds and the contract award.

“It’s not out of line with what might be expected,” said Public Works Director Barry Loveless.

Work on both roadways includes the installation of 6-foot-wide shoulder improvements, with 5 feet of the shoulders to be paved.

The improvements on Miller Road will stretch from Tolo Road to Peterson Hill Road.

Work on Fletcher Bay Road will stretch from High School Road to New Brooklyn Road.

City officials note the work is part of the Core 40 Program, which was developed in 2007 with the aim of creating a 40-mile network of roadside improvements for bicyclists.

The work on Miller Road will not include the removal of trees on the Grand Forest side of the road. A massive, 150-year-old Douglas fir near Arrow Point Drive — the subject of much concern in the community after it was marked for removal — will not be cut down, city officials said.