TTAC recommends covering Guernseytown Road construction overages after DOT signs off

The MB Cloud Transportation Technical Advisory Committee voted to recommend approval of additional allotment funds to cover construction overages on Guernseytown Road, committee members said during the Feb. 5 meeting.

Committee members said the project had reached construction and was completed but incurred unanticipated extra costs. Grayson, representing the Connecticut Department of Transportation, told the committee that the department reviewed the overages and found them justified in this case. “In general, overages are the responsibility of the town and are not eligible for additional reimbursement from the department,” Grayson said, but he added the department can approve extra reimbursement where justification exists.

Officials described two primary causes for the added costs: prolonged 2D rotation that delayed the work and a required alignment change after construction began because of unexpected bedrock. A Watertown representative described additional complications from utility relocations and contractor changes among utility companies, which lengthened the schedule and produced cascading cost effects.

Committee Chair called for a motion to recommend approval of the allocation. An unidentified committee member moved the recommendation and another member seconded; the committee recorded a voice vote and “Motion passes.” The motion will advance along with the TTAC recommendation to the agency board for final action.

Why it matters: the committee said the department’s approval in this instance hinged on the overages being unforeseen and tied to conditions outside the municipality’s control — bedrock, utility coordination failures and subcontractor interruptions — rather than omissions in the design documents. Members also discussed how many LOTS projects historically come in under allocation but that recent inflation in labor and materials has increased the frequency of bids approaching the low-bid-plus-20% funding cap.

Next steps and context: TTAC will forward its recommendation to the board. Committee members discussed broader funding mechanics: the “commitment to fund” letter is preliminary, while the actual municipal reimbursement is calculated against the low bid plus the standard 20% allowance (10% incidentals and 10% contingency). Committee members emphasized that when overages are not justified, the municipality remains responsible for the excess costs.