Watertown City Council to Consider $44,820 Increase for 4th Street West, Highland Boulevard Reconstruction
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council will consider approving Change Order No. 1 for the 4th Street West and Highland Boulevard Street Reconstruction Project (Project No. 2604) during its regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.
The proposed change order with contractor Halme, Inc., of Lake Norden, increases the contract by $44,819.80—an 18.1 percent adjustment over the original bid of $248,173.90—bringing the revised total contract price to $292,993.70.
Subgrade Stabilization and Drainage Adjustments
According to an agenda memo from City Manager Alan Stager, the primary driver of the cost increase was poor soil conditions encountered beneath the roadway. Because the existing subgrade could not be compacted to a suitable level to pass a proof roll on its own, city engineering staff consulted with Foerster Testing to determine the required cement stabilization treatment.
Adding the cement-treated base accounted for $35,761.50 of the change order, consisting of 72 tons of Portland cement at $330 per ton ($23,760.00) and 2,667 square yards of cement-treated base processing at $4.50 per square yard ($12,001.50). The stabilization allowed crews to eliminate 2,667 square yards of woven geotextile fabric originally budgeted at $6,934.20.
In addition to the subgrade stabilization, Change Order No. 1 updates final field quantities and expands the project scope to address neighborhood drainage and sidewalk alignment:
· Sidewalk Alignment: Plans were modified so that the sidewalk along the east side of 4th Street West and the north side of Highland Boulevard sits adjacent to the roadway without a boulevard.
· 1st Street West / Northwest Valley Gutter: Added an 8-foot reinforced concrete valley gutter (33.4 square yards) and associated milling, asphalt, and curb work to improve drainage.
· 4th Street West Curb and Gutter: Added 17 linear feet of curb and gutter replacement near the 10th Avenue North inlets.
· 608 2nd Street West / Northwest Curb and Gutter: Added 55 linear feet of curb and gutter replacement to correct drainage areas along the Watertown Municipal Utilities water main project corridor.
Project No. 2604 was originally budgeted at $270,000.00 under Account No. 212-43180-43919. While the revised contract price of $292,993.70 exceeds the initial project budget by $22,993.70, city staff noted that savings from other capital projects will absorb the overage.
