FEBRUARY 19, 2025|
Photo – Pedestrian tunnel under railroad tracks – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Rawlins governing body voted during a special session this week to deny the higher-than-expected construction bids for the North Higley Boulevard pedestrian underpass.
For the past 20 years, the City of Rawlins and the Wyoming Department of Transportation have looked to improve pedestrian-safety to cross Highway 287 Bypass, otherwise known as North Higley Boulevard. After numerous studies, the Rawlins Urban Systems Committee and WYDOT concluded that an underground walking tunnel was the best and most cost-effective solution.
In 2021, when the project was originally presented to the Rawlins city council, costs were estimated at approximately $1.6 million. The city was expected to contribute 9.51%, or approximately $158,000, toward the project.
Since then, inflation has caused the price of the pedestrian underpass project to balloon. This past December, Public Works Director Cody Dill said the project was now estimated at closer to $2.8 million, including federal funds, raising the city’s promised contribution to $298,000.
The contract also states that the City of Rawlins must pay for all expenses over the $2.8 million price quote.
Despite the higher-than-expected costs, the governing body voted to continue with the project and seek contractor bids.
On Monday, the Rawlins city council held a special work session to discuss the results of the bidding process. Public Works Director Dill explained that the bids for the pedestrian underpass came in at over $3 million. The city’s promised contribution would now exceed $1 million.
City documents show that under the current bids, Rawlins would be expected to contribute $1.9 million toward the total cost of the project.
Dill said WYDOT advised the city to reject the two contractor bids due to the higher-than anticipated price quote. WYDOT Engineer Jake Lonn informed the council that dirt removal costs had increased dramatically, adding an additional $300,000 to $500,000 to the project total.
Lonn said that the two contractors who submitted bids for the pedestrian underpass are not local and included high mobilization costs into their bids.
The original design of the North Higley Boulevard underpass project included the construction of a detour to direct traffic around the construction site. WYDOT Engineer Lonn explained that the higher cost of moving dirt has made the detour too expensive to build. Instead, the city and WYDOT will need to develop alternative traffic control measures, which will be more intrusive to motorists.
Despite the setback, Lonn said the project must not lose momentum.
If WYDOT can quickly redesign the pedestrian underpass to reduce costs, Lonn said the project should be ready for another round of contractor bids by late March. The WYDOT engineer said he wants to begin construction before other scheduled road work pushes the project back several more years.
Councilman Derek Elliott asked why a cheaper stoplight couldn’t be installed on North Higley Boulevard instead of the pedestrian underpass. WYDOT Engineer Lonn explained that the area is not suitable for a traffic light. If a stoplight was to be installed, the city would be entirely responsible for its installation and maintenance, Lonn said in his response.
Lonn said WYDOT is unlikely to allow a non-warranted stoplight to be installed on Highway 287, anyway.
Councilman Elliot pointed out that the city is required to maintain the pedestrian underpass after it is built. The council member said he believes that a stoplight will be less expensive to build and maintain than a tunnel.
Councilman Elliot’s comments did not produce further discussion.
City council voted unanimously to reject the contractor bids for the North Higley Boulevard pedestrian underpass and allow WYDOT to redesign the project in hopes of reducing costs.
