MONDAY, August 3, 2026|
Photo – Edinburgh Street – Courtesy City of Rawlins
Rawlins officials approved an extra $55,000 for the Edinburgh Street Rebuild Project.
During the July 21st Rawlins City Council meeting, Mayor Jacquelin Wells introduced a change order from Lewis and Lewis for the Edinburgh Street project. A change order is a written modification to a project’s original contract that alters the scope of work, cost, or schedule. The Rock Springs‑based contractor was requesting $55,950 to install more geotechnical fabric, which is used to stabilize the ground and improve drainage.
In 2019, Rawlins’ residents approved Specific Purpose 6th Penny Tax funding to replace the water main and sanitary sewer system, add a new stormwater collection system, and rebuild Edinburgh Street with new curb, gutter, sidewalks, and ADA‑accessible ramps.
Last November, the Rawlins City Council approved a $7.9 million bid from Lewis and Lewis Incorporated of Rock Springs to remove and replace 10,500 square yards of asphalt and install 3,000 feet of water line and 2,900 feet of storm sewer pipe.
At the July 21st meeting, Public Works Director Cody Dill explained that the city had commissioned a geotechnical report to determine the soil composition beneath Edinburgh Street before the project began. The report recommended installing geotechnical fabric under a section of private property. As the project moved forward, Dill said that step was omitted, prompting an earlier change order for more ground‑stabilizing material.
Dill said the geotechnical report didn’t call for more fabric, so the city left it out of the project manual beyond that initial section. However, he said that while digging in another portion of the site, Lewis and Lewis uncovered a stretch of unforeseen unstable ground, necessitating the $55,950 change order under consideration.
Dill said the extra 5,000 square yards of geotechnical fabric will give the entire job site ground‑stabilizing support.
The Rawlins City Council unanimously voted to approve the Edinburgh Street Rebuild Project change order. This marks the 5th change order Lewis and Lewis has requested since the project began last November. On March 3rd, the governing body approved three modifications to the scope of the project: $44,615.79 for contamination monitoring at the former Kum & Go on the corner of East Murray and Frontage streets, $6,812 for added concrete around storm drains, and $46,204.20 for the first round of geotechnical fabric. It is unclear when the 4th change order was approved or what work it covered.
