Change orders on Twelfth Street project add costs for utility relocation and concrete cap removal

Weber County engineering staff told commissioners about two change orders on the Twelfth Street / Liberty Bridge project that resulted from unexpected underground conditions.

What happened: During abutment work, contractors discovered the actual water line was a 10‑inch pipe located differently than records showed. The contractor performed exploratory work, located the pipe and rerouted/looped the larger line. Because the plans called for a smaller (6‑inch) line, staff said a credit was received for not looping the 6‑inch installation and the county paid the net cost of the larger relocation. The net additional cost to the county for that change order was roughly $10,943; staff noted the county’s required match on that item is only about 6.7% because the project is largely federally funded.

Second change order: During road subgrade preparation staff discovered an unrecorded concrete cap over an existing gas line. To achieve required subgrade elevations the contractor removed the concrete cap; that work was documented as a force‑account change order and currently totals about $39,005.20. Staff said funding sources for the work include Prop 1, impact fees and WACOG; project contingency and Prop 1 balances are sufficient to cover the unexpected work and the project remains on schedule for a fall paving and completion.

Why it matters: County staff said the gas line and water‑line locations were not fully reflected in available records, creating a safety and scheduling issue that required prompt corrective work. Staff emphasized they have kept change orders to a minimum for this phase of the project and that the project is back on schedule.

What was not decided: Commissioners were informed and asked questions; no commission action was required at the work session because available contingency and specified funding sources can absorb these change orders.