Notwithstanding §54-5-116, the bidder making the bid accepted shall be responsible and qualified under the laws of the state and under any valid rule or regulation of the commissioner; provided, that the commissioner is empowered to make reasonable rules and regulations the commissioner deems proper for the qualification of bidders as to financial responsibility, experience, organization and equipment, the number of contracts, the aggregate of the contract amounts at the contract unit prices, the character of construction, the number of miles of construction each bidder or contractor may have under contract or construction at one (1) time, or any other matter that would, in the commissioner's judgment, promote the best interests of the state in its highway construction, the power to make the rules and regulations being expressly not limited to rules and regulations as to the matters expressly listed in this section.