Constantine readies to replace Brightwater tunnel contractor

King County Executive Dow Constantine is close to jettisoning a Brightwater sewer-tunnel contractor and replacing the company with another that has promised to finish the job a year earlier and at a lower cost.

Wastewater-treatment officials will brief the Metropolitan King County Council Wednesday on the new contract negotiated with joint-venture contractor Jay Dee/Coluccio, which said it could finish a Kenmore-to-Shoreline tunnel segment by late 2011 for $77.6 million.

The contractor currently on the job, Vinci/Parsons RCI/Frontier-Kemper, said it would cost $98 million and take until the end of 2012 to repair a damaged boring machine and complete the tunnel, according to the county. The machine has been idled since June 2009.

Constantine's office said in a news release Monday that Jay Dee/Coluccio has signed the replacement contract and that Constantine would sign it after addressing any concerns raised by County Council members.

Council Chair Bob Ferguson praised Constantine's "decisive action" to keep the project moving.

Under Constantine's planned shuffling of contractors, the Vinci group would complete the Kenmore-to-Bothell portion of the 13-mile tunnel that is to carry treated wastewater from the Brightwater plant north of Woodinville to Puget Sound. A broken machine on that segment was shut down in May 2009 and went back into operation in February.

Jay Dee/Coluccio, which with partner Taisei have successfully bored a tunnel from Point Wells to Ballinger Way in Shoreline, will continue eastward and excavate an additional 1.9 miles of tunnel. Taisei has other commitments and won't participate in the new contract.

The Brightwater project was expected to cost $1.8 billion, but problems with the deep-bore-tunneling machines could raise the price by an amount that will be determined through negotiation or litigation.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com