March 10th 2026 |
Photo – Courtesy City of Rawlins
In Rawlins, city officials approved three change orders for the Edinburgh Street Project despite concerns regarding their necessity.
In 2019, Rawlins’ residents approved the use of Specific Purpose 6th Penny Tax funds to reconstruct Edinburgh Street between Dunphail and Murray. The project includes replacing the existing water main and sanitary sewer system, installing a new stormwater collection system, and reconstructing the road with new curb, gutter, and sidewalks, along with ADA‑accessible pedestrian ramps.
Last November, Lewis and Lewis Incorporated of Rock Springs was awarded the $7.9 million contract, and the Edinburgh Street Rebuild Project finally began.
In January, Rawlins Public Works Director Cody Dill reported that work was progressing more slowly than expected. Dill said the contractors were held up by a city‑owned property at 1146 North Higley Boulevard, the former Kum and Go. The site is monitored through the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s Soil Vapor Extraction program, which pulls gasoline vapors from contaminated soil.
The public works director said engineers contacted Wyoming DEQ and Trihydro Corporation, the state’s environmental engineering firm, for guidance.
During the March 3rd Rawlins City Council meeting, Dill presented a $44,615.79 change order for work performed outside the original project scope. The public works director said Lewis and Lewis had to wait for DEQ and Trihydro to advise on how to proceed, which delayed the project and raised costs.
Councilman Steve Sanger said the change order states the project was delayed due to a lack of communication from DEQ and asked if the monitoring wells were known about before work began. Dill said they were, but the contractors did not know the extent of the impacted area.
Dill added that Trihydro has since provided the contractors with a map showing the full contamination zone.
Councilman Sanger questioned why DEQ failed to inform the city about the monitoring wells before work began. Dill said DEQ and Trihydro did not consult with the city on the project.
Councilman Sanger said it seemed odd that DEQ didn’t tell the city about the contamination zone. Dill responded that the state agency was unaware Lewis and Lewis would be digging in the area, adding that DEQ was very responsive once they were informed about the project.
The change order also states an existing water line was interfering with the new stormwater and sewer pipes being installed. Councilman Sanger questioned the wording of the change order.
Dill said workers relied on surface features in 2019 to locate the underground water pipe. When the area excavated the area, contractors found the lines were more than a foot away from the estimate.
The public works director said variables are always present when locating underground infrastructure. Councilman Sanger responded, say that those variables are costing Rawlins a lot of money. Dill attributed the issue to the age of the pipe and the city’s outdated Geographic Information System. When the contractors discovered how far off the original location was, Dill said they excavated the remainder of the line.
Dill also presented a $6,812 change order to address additional concrete for a stormwater drain. A second change order calls for $46,204 to place geotechnical fabric over the entire site due to the area’s high moisture content. Councilman Steve Sanger said he expected the contractors to have accounted for the moist soil before beginning work.
Dill said preliminary site work failed to identify how moist the soil was 10 inches below the ground. As the contractors fill in the excavations, the ground will become more compacted than the surrounding soil.
Dill said the geotechnical fabric will prevent the future road surface from shifting due to the uneven moisture and compaction levels.
Councilman Sanger asked if it would be simpler to remove all the soil in the work site and replace it with gravel. Dill said that approach would be more costly than using geotechnical fabric.
Following the discussion, the Rawlins City Council voted to approve all three change orders, adding $97,631.99 to the project total. Public Works Director Dill said the additional funding will come from the city’s general budget reserves and the water enterprise fund.
