Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects After Action topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After‑action review: East 50th Avenue reconstruction saw environmental remediation and utility delays that extended costs and schedule
Summary
A county after‑action review of the East 50th Avenue reconstruction found major cost and schedule drivers: environmental remediation discovered during work and protracted utility delays that together required multiple change orders and higher final spending.
Adams County Public Works staff presented an after‑action report on the East 50th Avenue corridor reconstruction (Washington to York), a multi‑phase corridor rebuild that included roadway reconstruction, storm drainage, lighting, intersection upgrades and multiple right‑of‑way acquisitions.
Staff reported that unanticipated environmental contamination discovered during construction required a formal remediation process and added approximately $5.5 million in remediation costs. Utility coordination also generated multiple change orders; staff noted that early coordination with utility partners did not reliably align utility schedules with county priorities and that delays by utility providers materially extended project schedule and cost. The project recorded 18 change orders overall, three of which had direct county cost impacts. Staff summarized total project expenditures against original budgets for design, right‑of‑way and construction and highlighted lessons learned to reduce risk on future capital projects.
Key recommendations included: improved early mapping of environmental risk to guide pre‑construction due diligence; a more robust and documented approach to early utility coordination (including escalating matters to utility executives when contractors or schedules create risk); clearer community communications plans and an updated risk‑protocol matrix tied to project contingency and scope decisions. Public Works staff also recommended standardizing post‑project “after action” reviews as a formal closeout step for major capital projects so lessons learned are captured and reused.
Commissioners praised the staff’s transparent review, asked staff to ensure small business and local stakeholders harmed by construction receive outreach, and encouraged staff to present an implementation plan for the recommendations. The report will inform capital planning and procurement for forthcoming projects.
