Yuma City Council Approves $2.7M Third and Fourth Avenues Paving, SEH Inspections

The Yuma City Council moved forward with a long-planned infrastructure project by awarding a $2,706,000 construction contract for paving on Third and Fourth avenues and by approving additional inspection services from Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH). Council members advanced the work at their first meeting of 2026, signaling a push to improve roadway conditions ahead of community events later this year.

Concrete Specialties and Utilities Construction won the contract with a bid recorded as slightly under the engineer’s estimate. The pavement scope covers roughly three blocks along the avenues, and city officials targeted significant completion of the work before the Yuma County Parade, noting a July 23 target for readiness. The contract value and timeline reflect the city’s priority to align major construction with the parade schedule to minimize disruption during peak community activity.

SEH will provide inspection and related services to support construction oversight, a measure the council approved unanimously. Those services are intended to ensure project specifications and safety standards are met during construction and to document progress for the city and taxpayers. The paired approvals consolidate the city’s procurement and oversight for a single, coordinated effort rather than separate contracts.

For residents and businesses along Third and Fourth avenues, the project will bring smoother pavement and likely reduced maintenance needs, but it will also mean temporary traffic adjustments during work. Expect periodic lane closures, staged detours and construction staging in the immediate work zone. The council meeting included full deliberations and votes on the items, and the decisions conclude a procurement phase that has been under local planning for some time.

The funding and oversight choices reflect routine municipal practice for midscale street rehabilitation in a city balancing capital needs with event-driven scheduling. The council’s actions also underscore the practical relationship between local infrastructure and civic life: timely road improvements can reduce parade-day headaches and support downtown access for vendors and attendees.

Next steps include contractor mobilization and the start of formal inspections coordinated by SEH once construction begins. Residents should monitor city communications for construction timelines and traffic advisories as crews mobilize and work ramps up toward the July target.