Fulshear council approves change order to upsize Harris Street sewer line, adds 50 days to schedule

Fulshear — The Fulshear City Council on March 4 approved Change Order No. 2 to Agreement 2024-053 to upsize sanitary sewer lines along Harris Street, a move staff said is intended to complete sewer improvements before new roadway pavement is installed.

City engineering project manager Tiffany Stoddard told the council the wastewater master plan identified the need to upsize sanitary gravity lines along Harris Street. The proposal would upsizing the line from Fifth Street to Second Street to a 10-inch pipe and from Second Street to First Street to a 12-inch pipe, while maintaining existing flow lines and tying into existing manholes. Stoddard said the sewer work will be done in phases aligned with the roadway phasing and will extend the project timeline by about 50 days.

The change order is budgeted through existing capital projects, Stoddard said. She told council $334,000 originally budgeted for a lift station identified in the CIP will be redirected and the remaining $144,000 will come from savings on the off-site well project for the Pecan Knoll water plant, for the total additional cost of $478,000.

Council member Poole made the motion to approve the change order; the motion was seconded by Council member Powers. The council voted by voice and the item passed.

The council and staff noted the contractor paused certain concrete pours while change-order negotiations were underway to avoid rework. Stoddard said the contractor will remobilize to the site after the change order is executed.

The council did not direct additional changes to the plan during the vote. Staff said phasing would be used to minimize disruptions to residents and businesses along Harris Street.