After Months Of Setbacks, Maryland Approves $236K Calvert Roadside Mowing Contract

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Cutting grass and picking up litter along Calvert County’s state roads may sound like a simple job, but getting a contractor in place turned into a months-long process.

The Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $236,299 contract Wednesday, Aug. 5, for hand mowing, trimming and litter pickup at various State Highway Administration (SHA) locations across Calvert County. The work was awarded to Smallwood’s Grounds Maintenance Inc. of Forestville, a certified small business.

The contract begins Aug. 20 and runs through Dec. 31, 2028.

But Smallwood’s was not the first company in line for the job.

SHA received eight bids after advertising the contract in September 2025, but the procurement process hit several roadblocks before an award was finalized.

The original apparent low bidder was rejected after SHA said the company had recently defaulted on a similar mowing contract in Howard County and repeatedly failed to complete assigned work. The company protested the decision, but SHA denied that protest in February.

The next bidder was also rejected after officials said repeated attempts to schedule an equipment inspection went unanswered.

Then, the third apparent low bidder withdrew.

That cleared the way for Smallwood’s to move forward with the contract.

The contract will be funded entirely through Maryland’s Transportation Trust Fund.

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