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Struthers safety director reports possible $60,000 excavation change order and two-week delay on bridge project
Summary
At the Feb. 12, 2025 Struthers City Council caucus, the safety director said contractors requested roughly $60,000 in additional excavation costs and a two‑week delay on the bridge reconstruction; Ohio Department of Transportation will review change orders and could determine responsibility for any overage.
At the Feb. 12, 2025 Struthers City Council caucus, the city’s safety director updated councilmembers on delays and potential change orders for the ongoing bridge reconstruction, saying contractors “wound up with $60,000 worth of extra excavating that’s probably gonna be a change order.”
The safety director told councilmembers the contractor also requested a two‑week delay after discovering a utility pole close to excavation work; the pole was moved by Ohio Edison before work resumed. The director said the contractor argued the pole’s proximity created a safety risk and that the additional excavating came because the subsurface was dirt rather than the concrete the bidders expected.
Councilmembers questioned why borings and pre‑bid studies had not identified the differing subsurface conditions. The safety director said no official change order had been issued at the time of the meeting and the cost could be adjusted because the contract includes provisions that limit certain excavating charges.
City officials noted the project began as about a $1,000,000 bid but that costs have risen; the safety director estimated the project could approach $2,000,000 in total. He said roughly $120,000 remained available before the city would need to cover overages with local funds. He advised that any change orders paid under the federal/state grant program must be submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for review and approval.
Environmental Design Group — the construction engineering firm overseeing the build — was identified as the party reviewing excavating and change‑order costs; DLZ was named as the design firm. Councilmembers discussed whether contractors might underbid projects and then seek multiple change orders to recover costs, and said the city’s engineers and ODOT would have to determine whether the extra charges are allowable under the grant.
No formal vote or final decision on the change order was recorded at the caucus; the safety director said ODOT’s review could determine whether the agency would pay the disputed costs. Councilmembers asked staff to monitor change orders and review contracts carefully before accepting additional charges.
