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Council hears details on Olive Street closure and change order for Houston Street intersection work
Summary
City staff explained a two‑phase closure of Olive Street for intersection reconstruction at Houston Street and the related change order for contractor BECO Contracting; city manager’s authority controls closures and traffic counts on Olive are low.
City staff briefed the City Council Wednesday on a change order and a separate application by the contractor to temporarily close Olive Street for reconstruction work at the Houston Street intersection.
Charlie Bright, representing the city's public-works/engineering function, told the council BECO Contracting has requested a phased closure of Olive Street to allow crews to access and widen the intersection. Bright said the north side of the intersection contains a 24‑inch high‑pressure gas main in an easement and the south side has significant grade change and a nearby creek; those constraints and a nearby residence limit work area and require a directional closure to complete intersection improvements.
Bright said the contractor proposed two phases: an initial closure of about two months and a later request for an additional month. Houston Street, he said, will remain open for through traffic during the work. “Traffic counts are much lower on Olive Street,” Bright said, and the city manager has administrative authority to approve short‑term closures.
Council members discussed travel disruptions and neighborhood impacts; one councilor said nearby residents were “excited” that the intersection will be “widened and nicer” and that they could “endure the two or three months” of closure to complete the work. The item on the council agenda was a change order tied to traffic control and construction; council members were advised that the vote on the change order does not itself authorize the road closure, which is a separate administrative action handled by the city manager.
A vote to approve the change order proceeded as part of the consent agenda. Staff will notify residents and post closure details before the start of construction, and will return with additional schedule details if the contractor seeks the second phase of closure.
