Assembly approves $790,622 design change order for Shaw Elementary intersection; debate centers on roundabout, costs and timeline

Assembly members approved a design change order of $790,622 for the Shaw Elementary turn-lane project after several hours of questioning about cost growth, scope changes and the project timeline.

The change order (AM25-110, change order number 6) will pay consultant fees to produce construction documents for intersection improvements at Wasilla Fishhook Road and Paradise/Foxtrot, including the design of a roundabout, staff said. The assembly approved the change order by voice vote with no recorded objection.

The issue matters because the site already has known traffic constraints at Shaw Elementary and a second nearby school, Birch Tree. Staff said an earlier, smaller project intended as a turn lane would not solve peak-hour congestion once both schools are open, and that a broader design including off-site intersection improvements is required.

Assembly member Dee McKee, who pulled the item for discussion, asked why the project has accumulated several change orders and why the cost for design work has swelled from the original scope. “When I see something that has 6 change orders, I'm thinking, jeez, Louise,” McKee said during the meeting.

Staff replied that the project was originally scoped as a turn lane under TIP 21 but that further…