Public Works committee authorizes staff to solicit bids for Tumwater’s $4 million 2025 pavement maintenance project

The City of Tumwater Public Works Committee on Feb. 20 authorized staff to solicit bids for the 2025 pavement maintenance project and recommended the City Council award the work to the lowest responsible bidder and authorize the mayor to sign the contract. The committee also recommended that the council authorize road closures and detours as needed, allow night work adjacent to residentially zoned properties when necessary to reduce impacts and keep critical services running, and increase change-order authority for the project from 10% to 20% under Tumwater Municipal Code 2.14.006.

Senior Engineer Joseph Norman presented the project, explaining the city uses periodic pavement condition ratings to target repairs and maximize benefit from Transportation Benefit District funds. The project scope includes grinding and inlays or overlays, utility casting adjustments, storm-drain repairs, pavement marking repairs (citywide striping), raised pavement markers, crack sealing, and select localized repairs for alligator-cracked pavement.

"I'm Joseph Norman. I'm a senior engineer in the transportation and engineering department, presenting the 2025 pavement maintenance project for you," Joseph said. He told the committee the largest work area will be the Little Rock Road roundabouts and that staff are requesting night work on that corridor and traffic detours in urban high-traffic areas.

Joseph said the engineer's estimate for construction is approximately $4,000,000, funded through the Transportation Benefit District with appropriate CFP funds. He recommended increasing contract change-order authority from the typical 10% to 20% to manage unknown subsurface conditions discovered once crews grind out pavement; the larger authority is a contingency safety net to ensure the right repairs are made rather than returning to Council repeatedly for small increases.

Committee members asked about the number of streets on the list (about 16 main areas), the nature of alligator cracking, the expected 50 working-day construction duration, the April bid start and June–October construction window, and the rationale for the higher change-order authority. Following discussion, the committee moved, seconded and approved the staff recommendation by unanimous voice vote.

The committee requested staff proceed to place solicitation recommendations and contract award items on the March 4 City Council consent calendar for final Council action.