Wells Ave in 2018, with both travel lanes heading northbound (Photo from Google Maps)

Wells Ave as it appears in Google Maps today, with two-way traffic

The Williams/Wells two-way street conversion was completed over a three year span from 2019 to 2022.  The work included intersection improvements and new utilities and sidewalks on sections of Williams and Wells,  as well as sections of South Second and South Third Streets. The project suffered several long delays, primarily from an evolving work statement and pandemic-era material and labor shortages. Our long-time Public Works Director retired in February 2020, and the project leadership went to Martin Pastucha, Renton’s current Public Works Director.

As the project overran the schedule, the costs ballooned.  The contractors began submitting dozens of change orders to cover the changing project requirements, and cover their expenses that came from delays they felt were outside their control.

This 2021 photo shows the worksite at the intersection of Wells and South Third Street during the Williams/Wells street conversion.  Impacted businesses begged the City to get the project done as quickly as possible. (Personal photo)

In late 2021, two representatives from the prime contractor, Cascade Civil Construction, attended (via Zoom) a Renton City Council Meeting to let the Council know that they did not feel that change orders were being approved quickly enough.

In 28 years on Council, this was a first for me; I didn’t remember ever having seen a contractor attend a Council Meeting to complain about slow approval of change orders.  After the meeting I was informed by staff that the issue was a misunderstanding, and would soon be handled. (I was only on Council for three more months before my final term came to a close.)

The Renton Council Minutes from September 9, 2021.

The change orders continued piling up into 2022.  While the initial agreed contract amount was $7,733,422, sixty-six total change orders increased it to $10,424,543, a 35% increase.

But it was not over even after the construction dust cleared.  Cascade Civil Construction and the City of Renton fell into a dispute over an additional half-million to one-million in costs, and both sides began paying attorneys.  Renton employed Perkins Coie in addition to paying City attorney staff.  Both sides finally hashed out the final Change Order number 67 at a settlement conference, which will bring the contract to a close.

At the February 9 Council Meeting (three weeks ago), the Council approved this $602,390 change order, along with approving $304, 826 recently paid on the contract.  There are also other fees associated with the settlement, including attorneys fees and recording fees, which added up to accrued 2025/2026 costs of 1.25 million dollars.  By my calculations, the amount going to Cascade Civil Construction will bring their total up to $11,026,923, or 43 percent over the original contract amount.

The Council passed a motion at the February 9 Council Meeting to add an extra $1,000,000 to the Williams/Wells conversion project fund.

In another recent blog post I described how 56 change orders on the Rainier Avenue Project took it 29% over budget, and recommended Renton perform an after-action review to find ways to reduce these change orders on future projects. The Williams/Wells project could be included in this review.

Below the cut I’ve posted the agenda bill and settlement documents that the Council approved for Williams/Wells at the February 9 meeting.

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