Council approves $2.93 million change order to finish Bridge Street widening; one councilmember recuses

Brighton City Council on April 1 approved Change Order No. 2 for the Bridge Street widening and utility infrastructure project, adding $2,933,000 to the construction contract with Brennan Sand & Gravel LLC and bringing the total contract amount to $23,820,084.

Deputy City Manager Falconberg and Assistant Director Christopher Montoya summarized the work completed and the reasons for the change order. Montoya said the project—about 1.3 miles and including four traffic signals, extensive storm sewer work, a widened bridge structure, nearly 330,000 square feet of roadway and a regional pond—is largely complete but encountered multiple unforeseen underground conflicts during construction. Those included deep excavations that required shoring, cave‑ins in sandy soils, a large buried concrete mass discovered in the trench, conflicts with existing water lines and sanitary manholes, asbestos‑containing water pipe that triggered special handling, and the need to bore under the Brighton Lateral ditch rather than open trenching in one location.

Montoya described other added costs including electrical infrastructure (United Power design and construction of corridor lighting), pond regrading and upgrades to meet current regulations, and supplemental materials such as flow‑fill to stabilize deep excavations. “We saved over a year by taking this tactic,” Montoya said of the city’s accelerated design, construction and right‑of‑way acquisition approach, noting that the strategy reduced exposure to construction inflation even as the contract required additions. He told council that despite the change orders the negotiated contract total remains below bids received during the original procurement round.

Councilmember Taddeo recused from the item, citing a family member who works for a contractor on the project. The motion to approve the change order was moved by the Mayor Pro Tem and seconded by Councilmember Worth. The roll‑call motion passed 7–0 with one recusal and one absence.

Montoya described funding as available in the current project budget and said the change order will allow crews to complete remaining work including pond grading, erosion and vegetation restoration, median finishes and other remaining paving and landscaping tasks. Councilmembers reiterated the need for an owner’s representative on large infrastructure projects in future to improve oversight and reduce the risk of scope creep and unanticipated costs.

The approval authorizes the city manager or designee to execute the change order and finish the project to the city’s current construction standards.