The city of Tacoma has agreed to pay $3.5 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to settle a lawsuit relating to construction costs from a project on Interstate 5.
Prior to 2008, two utility pipes were discovered beneath the area of the project: a city sewer line and a stormwater drainage line. The city and WSDOT disagreed about who was responsible for the costs of the relocation work.
To avoid delays on the project, representatives from the state and city “agreed to disagree” on the ultimate responsibility for the costs of the relocation and to determine it at a later date, according to court records.“The State has repeatedly requested reimbursement from the City for the costs of the Relocation Work. The City has refused to pay these costs,” the complaint stated.
The city made a counterclaim, arguing the state breached contract when it designed the HOV project to remove bridges over the pipes that were built in the 1960s. The city and state agreed to a settlement amount based in part on what the city would have to pay in the future to replace the pipes, said city representatives in a statement on Wednesday.
“The settlement is beneficial to both parties because it allows the State of Washington to address that portion of the I-5 corridor in a more economical manner by replacing the pipes, provides the City with new pipes and infrastructure that will last 100+ years, and assigns future rights and responsibilities of both parties going forward,” the statement said.“We’re pleased to have come to a mutual agreement with the City of Tacoma to share this cost.