Heritage Trail West project completion faces delays following bankruptcy of contractor

The Heritage Trail West project will face some delays to its completion date as the city of Round Rock searches for a new contractor to undertake the project.

During the City Council's semiannual retreat and work session, Parks and Recreation Director Rick Atkins said the project is delayed due to the original contractor, Pflugerville-based Ritter, Botkin Prime Construction Co., filing for bankruptcy in late 2021.

"We have been working with a surety company," Atkins said. "We met with the surety [in the] first part of December to figure out what the process was going to be ourselves and legal."

Atkins said the surety is evaluating potential contractors to finish out the project but that these prospective contractors have enough projects already to delay their start on the Heritage Trail West by another four to six months.

"We're at the mercy of whoever the surety picks," Atkins said.

The surety is meeting with contractors to determine who will finish out the project, according to Atkins, and the project will be rebid through that entity. The project will not be going back to the City Council to be rebid.

Delays could ultimately push the completion date for the project into 2023, according to the city.

The Heritage Trail West project is funded by the 2013 bond, connecting the approximately 1-mile span between Chisholm Trail Road and North Mays Street along Brushy Creek. The city originally awarded the $7.3 million contract to Ritter, Botkin Prime Construction Co. in June 2020.

Calls to Ritter, Botkin Prime Construction Co. show the phone number is disconnected, and the website for the contractor is no longer available.