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Council authorizes additional work on 8 Mile water main after unrecorded utilities, raising project cost to about $794,000
Summary
The city approved additional costs for the 8 Mile water main project after discovery of an existing gas main and unrecorded cast-iron water main sections, increasing the project from about $601,000 (with contingency) toward an estimated $794,000 total.
The St. Clair Shores City Council approved additional scope and associated costs for the 8 Mile water main project after field discoveries revealed unrecorded utilities and older pipe that required replacement. The council voted 7-0 to accept the change orders and additional work described by city engineering staff.
City engineer Mike Freckleton summarized three key issues that drove the cost increase: (1) pre-construction locating revealed a gas main running over the existing water main that made the original plan to pipe-burst impractical; the city changed the method to directional drilling and negotiated reduced per-foot pricing with the contractor; (2) the contractor encountered mismatched GIS/as-built records for a water main tie-in requiring exploratory work and additional time; and (3) crews discovered a stretch of 1930s cast-iron pipe near Harper that had not been recorded in newer as-builts and must be replaced to avoid future breaks, requiring additional confined-space work and safety measures.
Freckleton said the original awarded contract, including contingency, was about $601,000; the additional work and time-and-material items brought the current estimate to roughly $794,000. Staff noted some items may be negotiable with the contractor based on efforts to limit added expense, but asked council to approve the additional overruns to move the project forward. Council approved the requested action by voice vote, 7-0.
Why it matters: the 8 Mile water main project improves system connectivity under I-94 and between neighborhoods; unknown or unrecorded utilities can significantly raise costs and change construction technique, affecting schedule and budget.
Next steps: staff will pursue negotiating allowances with the contractor where feasible, proceed with replacing the discovered cast-iron section, and continue project coordination with utilities and traffic control.
