An initial proposal for an asphalt plant on Heyworth''s west side may have bit the dust, but county and other government officials think a new company could make for good competition on road resurfacing bids.

In its newest proposal, Entler Excavating of Decatur has asked McLean County to rezone 10 acres southeast of Heyworth for the operation. Heyworth Mayor Steve Crum had some concerns about Entler''s first plan, but thinks the new location is much better suited.

And, he said, a second asphalt supplier could bring much needed competition and maybe even lower prices.

"To have another (asphalt) company would be good for our community and the bid process," Crum said. "The competition could knock down prices."

Normal City Manager Mark Peterson agreed.

"From the perspective of the consumer, competition is always good," Peterson said. "Our resurfacing bids have gone up dramatically over the last number of years, in large part due to the fact that there is no competition."

Three Illinois paving contractors - Freesen Inc. of Bluffs, R.A. Cullinan & Son Inc. of Tremont, and Illinois Valley Paving of Winchester - merged six years ago into United Contractors Midwest Inc. of Springfield. Freesen and Bloomington''s Rowe Construction typically bid against each other on Twin City paving projects. Cullinan is Rowe''s parent company.

When Normal sought bids for its annual resurfacing contract that year, Rowe was the sole bidder and the bid was 12 percent above the town engineer''s estimate.

Normal''s current town engineer, Gene Brown, said the price of asphalt went from $47 a ton in 2001 to $69 a ton in 2006.

"I have to assume if there were two bidders, we''d get a little better price," he said. That''s the case when the town seeks bids for concrete work, he said. "The bids come in closer to estimates."

Peterson said the proposed Entler plant would be a smaller operation than Rowe''s facility, so he doesn''t know to what extent the Decatur-based company could bid on town projects. But he said if pricing improved, Normal could resurface more streets with the same amount of money.

Eric Schmitt, assistant engineer for McLean County, said Entler''s bid for a five-mile project between Carlock and Danvers was $815,000 below the county''s estimate and $1 million below the bid Rowe submitted. The two companies were the only bidders.

If it''s ''good competition''

Schmitt and Bloomington City Manager Tom Hamilton believe oil prices can be blamed for some of the increase in asphalt prices the past few years, but they also agree competition doesn''t hurt anything.

"As long as it''s good competition," Schmitt said.

Entler has built three culverts for the county in the last 1½ years, Schmitt said, and the county has been very pleased with the work. Weather has prevented the start of the $4.23 million Carlock-to-Danvers project, he said.

Asphalt work would be a new arm of the Entler company, said Mick Owen, superintendent for the company''s Bloomington division and the one who suggested expanding into the area.

That''s one of Hamilton''s concerns.

"The only thing that concerns me is they''re not a paving company," he said. "Sometimes you get what you pay for."

If the Entler plant gets up and running, Hamilton said, the city definitely will have to consider them when bidding.

Owen said Entler proposes buying 20 acres southeast of Heyworth. Half would be used for the asphalt plant and the rest would be planted with wheat. Owen said the company uses a lot of straw during road work.

1,000 feet from homes

County code requires the plant to be at least 1,000 feet away from residences. County Zoning Director Phil Dick said the proposed plant would be more than a half mile away from residences. Because the land is near land already rezoned for manufacturing, Dick said his office supports Entler''s request for rezoning.

Dick said that if the Heyworth Village Board would file an objection to the rezoning with the McLean County Board, the new proposal would require approval by a super majority, or 15 members of the board.

Crum said he doesn''t oppose the plan but hasn''t heard from trustees. The first plan drew concerns because of its location.