The adjustments in funding—also called change orders—are a standard process that construction companies building roads seek approval for if material costs or unexpected factors change the price of the project, said Robert B. Daigh, senior director of infrastructure in Williamson County.
Phase 1 of the SE Loop project near Hutto—which has been underway for over a year—and the CR 401 reconstruction project near Taylor, both by James Construction Group, received additional funding for a total of about $290,000. James Construction Group reduced the overall price of a different project on CR 110 by about $10,000. CR 110 connects Georgetown to Round Rock.
Smaller change orders of under $5,000 were also approved for the Thrall project and the Seward Junction improvements. The Thrall project by Chasco Construction is on South Bounds Street from Railroad Avenue to south of East Eckhart Avenue in front of the Thrall School. The Seward Junction project is near US 183 and SH 29.
“When you're building something of that magnitude and with this level of traffic, there will be some things that we're going to change,” Daigh said referring to the road projects.
The projects are funded by a 2019 voter-approved $412 million road bond. The court approved the changes without comment.
“If one project needs money, [and] another project has extra money, they just adjust the funds and move them around,” said Connie Odom, Williamson County public affairs manager.
