Contractor challenges $100-million irrigation tunnel project award in federal lawsuit
(UI) - A contractor has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the procurement process tied to a more than $100 million irrigation tunnel rehabilitation project spanning Wyoming and Nebraska., Cowboy State Daily reported.
Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring alleges the Goshen County Irrigation District and Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District improperly awarded major portions of the Fort Laramie Canal Tunnel rehabilitation work without competitive public bidding. The lawsuit claims the districts amended a construction manager at-risk agreement to allow the project manager to self-perform the construction work rather than publicly bid the contracts.
The project is tied to repairs of the Fort Laramie Canal tunnel system, which suffered a catastrophic collapse in 2019 that disrupted irrigation service across more than 100,000 acres of farmland in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska. Temporary repairs restored much of the system’s capacity, but long-term rehabilitation work remains underway.
According to Cowboy State Daily, the complaint also alleges violations tied to public records and public meeting requirements, claiming project-related decisions were made without adequate transparency. The rehabilitation project recently received a major federal funding commitment through the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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