Council approves $294,757.68 change order to widen Southeast 8th Street (Elm–Larch)

The City of College Place will widen Southeast 8th Street between Elm and Larch and install curb and gutter on the north side after the City Council approved a $294,757.68 change order on March 4.

Public works staff described the project as the final piece of a multi-segment effort on Southeast 8th Street, noting the sidewalk work on the south side is largely complete and that this change order will create a continuous, smoother roadway between segments. Mr. McAdrews said the change order will be issued to ESF Solutions, the contractor that completed the adjacent sidewalk, and will also include an overlay of the roadway.

Council members asked how much wider the road would be and whether using block resurfacing funds would force the city to forgo chip sealing elsewhere. Mr. McAdrews estimated the finished segment would provide parking on both sides with approximately a 20-foot travel lane and said the $350,000 block resurfacing allocation would be largely consumed by this change order, likely eliminating the chip-seal program for the year.

Council approved the motion to "approve this change order in the amount of $294,757.68 and issue to the contractor ESF Solutions" with a second from Council member Bole; the motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The change order will improve a constrained urban segment of Southeast 8th Street and reduce future patchwork impacts by completing curb, gutter and overlay work in a single sequence, but it consumes most of the block resurfacing budget and delays preventative chip-seal maintenance elsewhere.

Next steps: Staff will execute the change order with ESF Solutions and schedule construction; the city will likely defer the chip-seal preservation program for 2026.