If any project or any portion thereof, or any improvement thereof, shall be constructed pursuant to a contract, and the estimated cost thereof exceeds four thousand dollars ($4,000), such contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder after advertisement for bids once a week for three weeks in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county where the project or improvement is located. The authority may make rules and regulations for the submission of bids and the construction or improvement of any project or portion thereof. No contract shall be entered into for construction or improvement of any project or portion thereof, or for the purchase of materials, unless the contractor shall give an undertaking with a sufficient surety or sureties approved by the Authority, and in an amount fixed by the Authority, for the faithful performance of the contract, and such contract shall be accompanied by an additional bond for the protection of those who furnish labor and material, for such amount and subject to the same terms and conditions as recommended by The Administrative Code of one thousand nine hundred twenty-nine, as amended,¹ on contracts entered into by the Department of General Services for the erection of buildings. All construction contracts shall provide, among other things, that the person or corporation entering into such contract with the Authority will pay for all materials furnished and services rendered, for the performance of the contract, and that any person or corporation furnishing such materials or rendering such services may maintain an action to recover for the same against the obligor in the undertaking as though such person or corporation was named therein, provided the action is brought within one year after the time the cause of action accrued. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the power of the Authority to construct any project or portion thereof or any addition, betterment or extension thereto, directly by the officers, agents and employes of the Authority, or otherwise than by contract.

Subject to the aforesaid, the Authority may (but without intending by this provision to limit any powers of such Authority), enter into and carry out such contracts, or establish or comply with such rules and regulations concerning labor and materials and other related matters in connection with any project or portion thereof as the Authority may deem desirable, or as may be requested by any Federal agency that may assist in the financing of such project or any part thereof.

Every contract for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, improvement or maintenance of public works shall comply with the provisions of the act of March 3, 1978 (No. 3), known as the “Steel Products Procurement Act.”²