New contractor chosen for roundabout project
Published on October 17, 2023
Work on the roundabout at the intersection of Weld County Road (WCR) 74 and WCR 33 is set to resume immediately. Monday, the Weld County Board of Commissioners awarded an emergency-bid contract for its completion to WW Clyde for a total amount not to exceed $5,978,200.20. The roundabout is anticipated to be complete by Feb. 21, 2024.
Earlier this year, WW Clyde merged with IHC Scott, meaning the same quality and attention given to many past construction projects will now be given to the roundabout. Known for its quality and professionalism, IHC Scott has served as the contractor on many award-winning county projects, including the roundabout at 35th Ave. and O St. and WCR 54 and WCR 17. The contractor also led construction on WCR 49 and the Weld County Parkway.
“We realize the length of this intersection closure has been an inconvenience to our residents, and completing the roundabout quickly is a top priority,” said Mike Freeman, Weld County Commissioner Chair. “At the same time, we want the roundabout to be of the highest quality and improve safety and efficiency. We’re confident WW Clyde can achieve those goals.”
After terminating Lawson Construction as the project contractor in September, the board took fast action to find a new one capable of completing the project. Conversations between commissioners and the Weld County Department of Public Works made WW Clyde a clear choice. Awarding the contract as an emergency bid eliminates the need for Public Works to develop a new design plan set and find a contractor through its standard-bid process, something that could take between two and a half to three months before work could resume.
“Although the projects’ milestones were repeatedly missed by the previous contractor, we have full confidence in WW Clyde to provide a high-quality product in an accelerated timeline to get this intersection open as quickly as possible, and we appreciate the public’s patience,” said Curtis Hall, Director of the Weld County Department of Public Works. “Aside from enhancing safety and efficiency, our goal has always been to deliver a solution that meets traffic demand and has many of the same features that have made other roundabouts a success.”
Those features will include wide lanes to accommodate semi-trailers, large agricultural equipment and regular traffic. The roundabout will also be concaved in the center, allowing water to run into a center inlet, making the roundabout more resistant to flooding. Over the next four months, WW Clyde will work to deliver those features by completing several elements of construction, including concrete paving, drainage items, curb and gutter work and tie-in work to connect the roundabout to the existing portions of WCR 74 and WCR 33. Signage and striping will take place as construction wraps up, and Xcel Energy will also install streetlights.
During construction, the same project detours will be in place. East and westbound traffic on WCR 74 can utilize either WCR 35 or WCR 31 to connect to WCR 76. North and southbound traffic on WCR 33 can utilize either WCR 76 or WCR 72 to access WCR 31. The public is encouraged to sign up to receive email alerts on project progress.