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Council approves design contract for Jones/John Leonard railroad undercrossing
Summary
Sedro-Woolley council approved a professional services agreement with David Evans Associates for design of the Jones/John Leonard railroad undercrossing, adding a 10% management reserve and noting possible additional costs tied to BNSF coordination and subsurface unknowns.
Sedro-Woolley’s City Council on March 12 approved a professional services agreement with David Evans Associates to design the Jones/John Leonard railroad undercrossing, a Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) project that city staff say will require close coordination with BNSF and utility owners.
Public Works Director Bill Bolek told the council the firm was the preferred candidate from the city’s selection process and that the contract includes a management reserve of roughly 10 percent to cover expected unknowns. Bolek said the city anticipates additional work once engineers begin coordinating with BNSF and investigating soils and utilities along the corridor.
The council’s approval authorizes the full preliminary engineering budget and the management reserve, which Bolek said gives the city discretion about whether to use those funds. He estimated a near-term contingency exposure of about $40,000 as the worst-case additional cost at the current stage, and said the design phase will reveal whether more funding is needed and whether the city can pursue additional grants.
Council members asked questions about related improvements and staging. One council member said the undercrossing should help relieve traffic; another pressed Bolek on the fiscal contingency and buried utilities after the city’s experience uncovering fuel tanks on a prior project. Bolek said the bridge portion will be procured under a separate contract and described a best-case schedule in which construction of the roadway and related elements could occur in 2027 if funding and coordination proceed on an accelerated path. He also said Cascade Natural Gas is planning pipeline work in nearby corridors, which could reduce duplication of trenching if schedules align.
Councilman Lavaca moved to approve the agreement; Councilwoman Diamond seconded. The motion carried.
The city administrator said the selected engineer will begin work immediately and the council will receive a formal introduction of project staff at the first council meeting in April.
