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Rowlett ratifies emergency sewer‑line repairs; work running a month ahead and under earlier estimates
Summary
City council unanimously approved change orders and a contract for the Liberty Grove sewer‑line emergency repair project; officials say slip‑lining plus a localized replacement reduced projected costs and put the project roughly a month ahead of schedule, with full completion expected by late September.
The Rowlett City Council voted unanimously Sept. 2 to ratify change orders to the Circle H Contractors emergency contract and to authorize a contract with Vortex for slip‑lining work on the Liberty Grove sewer replacement project.
Deputy City Manager Christophe Bauer explained the scope: a limited replacement of about 100 feet where a break occurred, followed by slip‑lining (inserting a new pipe inside the old) for the longer run to extend the line’s life by decades. Bauer said the combined approach allowed staff to reduce overall cost estimates from an earlier $10–$14 million range to about $6.1 million after scope adjustments and internal city crews performing paving and overlay work.
Bauer also said the contractor and city paving crews have accelerated work, with several intersections (Chiza, Homestead, Old Princeton and Liberty Grove) expected to be reopened in the coming days and the project largely complete by Sept. 29 — about a month ahead of the previous schedule. "We are completing this work, about a month ahead of schedule," Bauer said.
Council members praised public‑works crews, project management and interagency coordination (including temporary traffic signals and police assistance to manage traffic during repairs). The council approved the resolution ratifying the change orders and authorizing the Vortex contract; the vote was unanimous among members present.
Public‑works staff said some median and landscape restoration will be scheduled later (spring) to allow soils to stabilize before final work.
