Chambers County Commissioners approved a $351,700 member request amendment for the Chambers Parkway Project to cover additional survey work and project management necessitated by splitting the project into two phases.

County staff said the original plan scoped a full design through to Needle Point and included a canal crossing, but staff split the work into Phase 1 (to the new soccer complex) and Phase 2 (from the soccer complex to Point Road) to avoid multiple pipeline conflicts along the corridor. Staff said the phased approach required additional survey work, particularly around pipelines, and more project management resources to manage the split.

The presenter stated pipeline companies had previously sought designs that would have required extensive relocation work; staff characterized the redesign as a cost‑avoidance action, saying the prior recommendation could have driven pipeline relocation costs “probably $15,000,000” though that figure was presented in discussion and summarized as avoided by redesign. Staff said narrowing and widening segments strategically and preserving medians reduced the need to relocate pipelines. Commissioners asked about the size of the amendment relative to the project and noted it appeared to be about a 25% increase for the scoped work; staff replied the additional survey and phase‑split work explained the cost increase.

The court moved and carried the amendment approval by voice vote. Related, the court also approved a smaller right‑of‑way services amendment of $4,420 to compensate negotiation work on Project Katie and a $62,040 contract amendment for boundary and utility services associated with the Chambers Parkway soccer complex.

What happened: The court approved a $351,700 amendment to cover additional survey and management for Chambers Parkway after staff split the design into two phases to avoid pipeline conflicts; the court also approved related, smaller amendments for right‑of‑way services and utilities for the new soccer complex.

What to watch next: Staff to proceed with the phased design work, coordinate with pipeline companies, and return schedule and cost tracking updates to the court.