Scott-County-led Merriam Junction Trail hits unexpected riverbank problem; supplemental change order expected
Summary
Scott County engineers said construction of the Merriam Junction Regional Trail is underway but staff discovered inaccurate river-profile data that requires additional riverbank stabilization; counties expect a multi-million-dollar supplemental agreement to cover extra riprap and embankment work.
Scott County officials told a joint Carver–Scott work session that construction of the Merriam Junction Regional Trail is progressing but that an unexpected riverbank condition will increase costs.
"We broke ground in 2024," Adam Jessen, Scott County assistant county engineer, said in the update, summarizing the project’s scope and funding. The trail, about two miles long, includes four bridge replacements and substantial riverbank stabilization work. Jessen said Ames Construction won the project with a low bid of $22,500,000 and that the team has used federal, regional and county funds to assemble the funding package.
The change in the project’s scope emerged after field work. Scott County construction staff found the river to be deeper and bank slopes to be steeper than the data used in design. "The specific problem that we're having right now is the river is just simply deeper than any of us anticipated it was gonna be," Jake Balk, the county construction manager, said. Staff reported a shortfall in riprap and embankment material and said a supplemental agreement for "several million dollars" will be brought to the board in early February.
County engineers described options studied during design. Piling and sheeting were considered but estimated to be far more expensive: "We looked at piling during the design phase, and the piling was gonna be astronomical," Balk said; he added sheeting could have cost on the order of $8–9 million. The presenters said the chosen approach—placing additional riprap on the slope and reusing material from a temporary causeway—is a lower-cost, practical response even though some material will shift into the river during scour.
Officials provided schedule updates: the bridge deck pour on the main crossing was completed in November, and crews are removing the temporary causeway and reusing rock for bank work. Carver Riverside Park is expected to open in June 2026 as part of cooperative agreements; Scott County staff said final trail grading, restoration and paving are planned in 2027.
On maintenance, counties described a joint-powers agreement where Scott County owns and handles routine minor maintenance of Bridge 10 and major maintenance would be shared equally should a catastrophe occur.
What happens next: staff said a supplemental change order will be drafted for board consideration in early February to cover the added bank stabilization work. The counties will continue riverbank work through winter and spring and return with the formal agreement and cost figures.
