Too Slow: Big Roundabout Project in Weld County Stops, Contractor Fired

When the job isn't getting done, sometimes you just have to call it "quits." That's what Weld County has done when it comes to this roundabout that has been taking way too long.

As if we all didn't have an animosity towards roundabouts already, this one outside of Eaton, Colorado, has turned into what some might call a "nightmare."

It's another example of the best laid plans leading to a road of misery. Weld County has had this roundabout at WCR 74 and CR 33 on the calendar since the beginning of 2023.

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The $9 million project, with Lawson Construction as the contractor, has been lagging; it was expected that vehicles would be using the new roundabout by September, but that didn't happen. In August, road closures were extended to December 1, 2023. That definitely didn't sound good.

On September 26, 2023, the Weld County Board of Commissioners made a very uncommon decision to terminate Lawson Construction from the project.

From Weld County:

 After many meetings between the Weld County Department of Public Works, which serves as the project manager, and Lawson to review project schedules and standards, termination was made in the best interest of the project and taxpayers.

We owe our residents the best improvement possible while ensuring they get the most benefit out of their taxpayer dollars.

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From the Director of Weld County Public Works:

Clearly, this roundabout has not reached the milestones to be a successful project, but we are fully committed to working diligently toward a solution that will result in the best outcome for the traveling public.

This is most likely going to be a process, as Weld County will need to find the money to pay a new contractor while they get their money back from the original contractor.