Wednesday, NOVEMBER 12, 2025 |

Photo – Road top on Edinburgh Street – Bigfoot99 file photo

The City of Rawlins, this week, has finalized the contract to begin the Edinburgh Street project.

On Monday, the city council held a special meeting to sign the contract with Lewis and Lewis, the Rock Springs-based contractor selected for the Edinburgh Street project. Councilman Steve Sanger began by moving to approve the $7,903,100 road repair contract. The document apparently included several clerical errors that needed to be corrected.

A scrivener’s error is a minor mistake in a legal or official document, typically made during transcription, typing, or formatting.

City Attorney Pinita Maberry-Nave said that, in addition to some misnumbered paragraphs, the contract listed the wrong dollar amount for liquidated damages. Attorney Maberry-Nave said liquidated damages are daily fees intended to ensure the project is completed on time. The original contract, prepared by WWC Engineering, incorrectly stated the fee as $1,500 per day instead of the agreed-upon $2,500.

The contract gives Lewis and Lewis 250 working days, or until next July, to remove and replace 10,500 square yards of asphalt on Edinburgh Street, from Dunphail to Murray, install 3,000 feet of new water lines, and 2,900 feet of storm sewer pipes. However, unlike the contractor’s agreement with the Town of Saratoga, the City of Rawlins is allowing Lewis and Lewis to shut the project down for the winter.

In 2022, Lewis and Lewis was hired to complete a water and sewer replacement project on Spring Avenue in Saratoga. Multiple delays, including groundwater issues and difficulty procuring equipment, extended the project nearly seven months past the original October 31st deadline. Completion did not occur until May of 2023, resulting in more than $300,000 in liquidated damages. The Town of Saratoga ultimately returned most of the fines to the Rock Springs contractor, minus costs incurred by the town during the unexpected shutdown over winter.

At the special city council meeting in Rawlins, Councilman Bruce Seilaff asked if the impending winter might delay the project.

Public Works Director Cody Dill said Lewis and Lewis are not concerned about frozen ground. Dill added that city crews frequently dig up broken water lines in the area without additional difficulty.

The Public Works Director said he will discuss the impact ground frost may have on the project when he meets with Lewis and Lewis representatives next week.

Attorney Maberry-Nave said the agreement includes a provision granting the contractor five additional days beyond the expected completion date for every five hours lost to adverse weather, adding that the governing body can revisit the clause in the future if necessary.

The city council voted to sign the Edinburgh Street project contract with Lewis and Lewis. The city has pledged to contribute $1 million of impact assistance funding toward the project, with the rest of the money coming from the Specific Purpose 6th Penny Tax.

The post City of Rawlins Signs Contract to Begin Edinburgh Street Project first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.