The $22 million Water Street Bridge Rehabilitation is a unique structure and roadway replacement project located in Ketchikan, Alaska. The project began in June 2016 and was split into eight phases, with access constraints making the sequence of work extremely linear. The project involves the removal and replacement of existing timber and concrete trestle structures and girder bridges, excavation and placement of new foundations, earthwork, grading, and paving.

New construction includes a 700-foot-long, pile-supported steel and concrete trestle structure; a 75-foot-long concrete girder bridge structure; and a 1,000 linear-foot (LF) trestle bridge. Phase one involved construction of a new 80 LF precast girder bridge. Phase 2 required construction of a 200 LF retaining wall. Phases 3 through 8 consisted of a new precast deck and 600 LF of structural steel trestle. The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018.

Differing site conditions were encountered, requiring utility relocations, new design drawings, and significant added work. Because of the linear nature of the project, access constraints, and the requirement to provide access to residents, the added work caused unavoidable delays. During the project, McMillen Jacobs was asked to assist with evaluation of the delay issues and to assist the contractor with its CPM scheduling. In response to the owner’s request for a schedule analysis, McMillen Jacobs prepared a time impact analysis to measure the effect of the changed work on the construction schedule. The owner’s representatives reviewed and accepted our delay analysis, and a change order with time extension was granted, subject to further discussions regarding time-related costs.

McMillen Jacobs supported the compensation request for time-related costs by preparing a report setting forth the justification for the contractor’s time-related costs and showed that the contract provisions for compensation had been satisfied. The resulting change order was later approved, also during the project.