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Committee orders exploratory testing after unexpected deterioration found in Walking Iron Trail bridge footing
Summary
Dane County Public Works and Transportation Committee approved a change order to fund exploratory testing after contractors found deteriorated concrete and reinforcing in a footing for the repurposed 1911 trestle bridge on the Walking Iron Trail. Members warned the project has seen substantial change orders to date.
On Sept. 9, the Dane County Public Works and Transportation Committee approved a change order to perform additional exploratory testing on the Walking Iron Trail bridge after contractors discovered unexpectedly deteriorated conditions in an existing footing.
The change order — described by staff as a testing and investigation phase only — was presented by a county staff member identified in the meeting as Steve. He told the committee the bridge is a repurposed 1911 train trestle and that one of the abutments showed abnormal conditions: concrete in a deteriorated state and reinforcing steel different from what had been expected. The approved work covers exploratory testing to assess the footing’s structural integrity; further repairs could be required depending on the testing results.
The testing change order was moved and seconded during the meeting and was approved by the committee. Committee members raised concerns about project costs: a member noted the original project price was approximately $1.6 million and said the project has accumulated more than $600,000 in change orders so far, and asked whether coordination with other jurisdictions had contributed to the overruns. Steve responded that a prior large change order was for an added safety enhancement and that the current item addresses an existing site condition, which is common when rehabilitating older structures.
Committee members discussed the possibility that, depending on what testing reveals, a new footing or additional structural repairs could be required. The change order before the committee was described as stage one — investigation and testing — rather than funding full remediation.
The committee approved the motion to authorize the exploratory work. The action does not itself authorize construction repairs beyond the testing and investigative scope presented to the committee.
The Walking Iron Trail bridge project will return to the committee or the appropriate procurement process for further approvals if the testing identifies a need for repair work beyond the investigative stage.
