Warren County officials were surprised by the lack of local bids for the county's Bike/Hike Trail improvement project.

During their Tuesday afternoon work session, Warren County Commissioners John Eggleston and Terry Hawk reviewed four bids for the project, which will seal coat the existing 2.7 miles of the trail and add another 4,000 feet near the Warren Mall. Commissioner John Bortz was absent from the meeting.

The county received the following bids:

East Coast Paving and Seal, of New Castle, Pa., $33, 740.42.

Dark Castle Construction, of Berlin, Pa., $35,847.04.

Terra Works, of Clarion, Pa., $35,980.50.

Fulena Pavers, of New Castle, Pa., $41,250.00.

"We didn't get any local bids," Eggleston said. "We like to have local bids. But if we don't, we don't."

The bids were forwarded to county planning director Dan Glotz, who will have the engineer for the project review them.

According to Glotz, the funding for the project will come from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

"We were successful in getting a Keystone Grant," he said.

The commissioners are expected to officially award the bid at their next meeting. Construction on the trail is expected to begin in the spring. Hawk noted that even if the weather stays warm, most asphalt plants are shutting down for the winter.

The commissioners also reviewed bids for a new vehicle for the county Probation Department.

According to Hawk, the matter had to be sent out for bid again due to a misunderstanding. The first bid was for a used small to mid-size SUV, when the department was actually seeking a new vehicle.

The county received bids from four dealerships with each bidding costs on two vehicles. Eggleston assumed the dual bids from each dealership was due to a difference in vehicle equipment.

"We'll evaluate those and award (the bid) at our next meeting," he said.