Coffey Countyngineers told the commission on Nov. 11 that KDOT accepted the county rainage analysis for the Airport Access Road project and that the team had negotiated change orders needed to finish grading and tie into 20th Road.

Project staff said two change orders were before the board: a no-cost time extension to set the substantial completion date at July 31, 2026 to align with the CDBG grant schedule, and a change order addressing the connection to 20th Road (pipe installation, aggregate base and hauling). The contractor originally proposed $56,217.26 for the connection, including a $15,000 mobilization fee. Commissioners expressed concern that the county should not absorb costs caused by an 18-inch-to-2-foot overcut at the north tie-in and directed staff to negotiate with the contractor.

After further discussion and a suggested reduction in mobilization, the board voted to approve Change Order Number 5 for a revised total of $38,117.26 to accomplish the grade corrections and the 20th Road connection. Commissioners emphasized they preferred to capture negotiation savings rather than delay work this week given a narrow window of favorable weather.

The board also approved the no-cost extension revising the substantial completion date to 07/31/2026 to protect the county's CDBG eligibility.

Next steps: staff will finalize the negotiated change order language, document the reasons for cost adjustments, and continue coordination with KDOT and the contractor to get base asphalt down before winter.