October 29th 2024.
This past week, the Westminster City Council made a decision to hire a law firm that specializes in construction defects. They want to get to the bottom of the issue causing several roads in the northern part of the city to sag and settle. The council unanimously voted to sign a contract worth $250,000 with Mill Construction Law LLC, a Denver-based firm. This law firm will be tasked with examining a mile and a half stretch of sewer pipes that were installed as part of the North Huron Interceptor Sewer Replacement Project, which cost the city $16 million.
According to city engineer John Burke, the project began in the spring of 2020 and issues started to arise over the next couple of years. "The asphalt surface started to settle, causing big dips in the road," Burke explained to The Denver Post on Tuesday. He also mentioned that in 2023, a dip of 8 inches on Orchard Parkway led to a road closure and emergency repairs. The city memo accompanying the council's meeting on Monday stated that city officials believe the sagging and settling are a result of inadequate compaction during the construction process. This becomes a bigger problem after heavy rainstorms, as the pipes settle and the soil shifts.
It's worth noting that there is no leakage of raw sewage from these pipes, according to Burke. However, depending on the findings of Mill Construction Law, the city may choose to file a lawsuit against the contractor responsible for the construction. The city has not disclosed the name of the contractor as of yet. The principal of Mill Construction Law, John W. Mill, has 20 years of experience in construction litigation and will be charging the city $490 per hour for his services. The city clarified that this is a reasonable rate for such services in the Denver area market.
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