Version History

MERL 2025.6

  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 1/1/2022 through 3/17/2025).
  • Bid Utility:
    • Fixed bug in Bid Comparison Report which would repeat the Project header incorrectly when the contract has multiple projects and the Bid Project is grouped by project.
  • Export:
    • Fixed bug exporting a Road Conductor Job which would always use estimate prices even if a Bid Utility bid was selected.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 6/13/2025).
  • Vendors:
    • Updated MDOT Approved Vendor List as of 5/1/2025.

MERL 2025.2

  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 1/1/2022 through 10/15/2024).
  • Bid Utility:
    • Added lines to Blank Bid Sheet report Contractor signature block: Printed Signer Name, Email Address, Phone #, Mailing Address.
    • Fixed bug in Bid Comparison report which would sometimes display items out of order.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 2/3/2025).
  • Project Estimator:
    • Fixed exception importing csv that includes blank lines or empty Pay Item Code cell value.
  • User Management:
    • Fixed bug which would not notify that a user cannot be deleted if they have one or more contracts checked out.
  • Vendors:
    • Updated MDOT Approved Vendor List.

MERL 2023.5

  • General:
    • SQL 2012 is no longer supported. MERL will no longer allow login to a SQL 2012 database. DO NOT UPDATE to this version unless your SQL Instance is 2014 or newer.
  • New Features:
    • Added support for SQL 2022. Note: Supported SQL Versions include 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 1/1/2021 through 3/31/2023).
  • Export:
    • Fixed exception exporting to Field Manager when one or more items have zero quantity.
  • Project Estimator:
    • Fixed bug merging estimates which would error out the Contract containing the estimate were selected rather than the estimate.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 5/5/2023).
    • Fixed bug in Estimate History which would not include history from a non-default Estimate.
  • Vendors:
    • Updated MDOT Approved Vendor List.

MERL 2022.11

  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 1/1/2021 through 9/1/2022).
  • Estimator's Worksheet:
    • Added option to search worksheet by Pay Item Code or Pay Item Description (including Supplemental Description).
  • Export:
    • Fixed exception exporting a contract after initial create and save.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 10/24/2022).
  • Vendors:
    • Updated MDOT Approved Vendor List.

MERL 2022.6

  • General:
    • Fixed exception doing backup, restore, or create new database on a non-TDG SQL instance.
  • Estimator's Worksheet:
    • Fixed bug on certain screen resolutions which would prevent scrolling far enough to see the Breakdown ID column.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 6/24/2022).

MERL 2022.5

  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 1/1/2021 through 3/31/2022).
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 5/27/2022).
  • Project Estimator:
    • Right-click on Pay Item in Pay Item List or Estimator's Worksheet will now change the selection to that row.
  • Local Job Manager:
    • Fixed exception loading Local Job list if there is an Estimate whose description is 255 characters long.
  • Vendors:
    • Updated MDOT Approved Vendor List.

MERL 2021.12

  • Average Unit Prices:
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2012 Spec Year (including 2019-2021 through 9/30/2021).
    • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2020 Spec Year (including 2021 through 9/30/2021).
  • Bid Utility:
    • Fixed bug in creating a new Bid Project which was not correctly summarizing the same pay items.
  • Pay Item Codes:
    • Updated the 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 9/17/2021).
  • Local Job Manager:
    • Fixed bug in creating a Job which would round 3 digit prices to 2 digits.
    • Fixed Postings, Pay Estimates, and Contract Mods to display 3 digits of precision for prices.
  • Reports:
    • Fixed bug in Engineer's Opinion of Costs report which was not correctly summarizing the same pay items.
    • Fixed bug in Local Job Manager reports which would ignore the 3-digit precision setting for prices when set.

MERL 2021.1

Average Unit Prices

  • Updated Average Unit Price data for 2012 Spec Year (including 2018-2020 through 12/31/2020).

Estimator's Worksheet

  • Tweaked validation rule to identify a Lump Sum item whose total quantity across categories is not greater than 1.

Export

  • Tweaked validation rule on export to Trns*Port XML to identify a Lump Sum item whose total quantity across categories is not greater than 1.

Import

  • Fixed exception importing a MERL Contract File for a contract with a Bid Project that used a user-defined Vendor.

Local Job Manager

  • Fixed exception opening a Contract with a posting with notes length > 2056 characters.

Pay Item Codes

  • Updated the 2012 and 2020 Pay Item Codes list (as of 1/4/2021).
  • Added label to Pay Item form to indicate the date the lookup data was last updated.