Jury Trial Set in County Widening Project Dispute
TL;DR: Chesterfield County faces a jury trial set for September 2027 in a dispute with contractor Branscome Operating LLC over $2.5 million in additional costs for the Iron Bridge Road widening project, one of three lawsuits totaling nearly $20 million against the county.
Quick facts
- Who: Branscome Operating LLC and Chesterfield County
- What: Jury trial scheduled in contractor dispute over Iron Bridge Road widening project; contractor seeking $2.5 million in additional costs; one of three related lawsuits with combined claims of nearly $20 million
- When: Trial set for September 2027; Iron Bridge project completed in 2023
- Where: Iron Bridge Road between Whitepine Road and Frith Lane, Chesterfield County, Virginia
The story
Chesterfield County is headed to trial in a dispute with contractor Branscome Operating LLC over additional payments for the recently completed Iron Bridge Road widening project. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 2027 and is expected to last eight days.
Branscome is seeking $2.5 million it claims the county owes for widening Iron Bridge Road from four to six lanes between Whitepine Road (near the county airport) and Frith Lane (near county government offices). The original contract was worth $11.6 million when awarded in 2021, and the project was completed in 2023.
The contractor argues that site conditions differed significantly from what was shown in the contract documents. Branscome claims the project was hampered by incorrect elevations in the plans, utility conflicts not identified in advance, and design changes that required work outside the original contract scope. According to Branscome, these issues resulted in cost overruns and project delays that entitled the contractor to additional compensation. The county has refused to pay the additional amount.
This Iron Bridge dispute is the first of three lawsuits Branscome has filed against Chesterfield County in less than a year. In August 2025, Branscome filed a second lawsuit seeking $3.4 million for a widening project on Winterpock Road. A third lawsuit arrived in November 2025, with Branscome claiming the county owes $13.7 million for a widening project on West Hundred Road in Chester. The claims across all three cases total nearly $20 million.
The West Hundred Road project illustrates a pattern Branscome claims plagued multiple contracts. That project involved widening a two-mile stretch of West Hundred to eight lanes between Bermuda Triangle Road and Rivers Bend Boulevard, plus improvements to adjacent roads. The contract began in October 2019 with an initial completion date of April 2022, but work continued until 2024. Although Chesterfield has already paid Branscome $40.6 million for that project, the contractor asserts defective plans, unanticipated subsurface conditions, unexpected utility impacts, and what it characterizes as the county's improper contract administration and poor communication contributed to the delays and cost increases justifying the additional claim.
Key players
- Branscome Operating LLC: Contractor claiming county owes millions for road widening work
- Chesterfield County: County government defending against contractor's claims
Key dates
- 2021: Branscome awarded $11.6 million Iron Bridge Road widening contract
- 2023: Iron Bridge Road widening project completed
- August 2025: Branscome filed second lawsuit seeking $3.4 million for Winterpock Road widening
- November 2025: Branscome filed third lawsuit seeking $13.7 million for West Hundred Road widening
- September 2027: Jury trial scheduled for Iron Bridge Road dispute (eight days)
Why it matters: The outcome of the Iron Bridge trial could affect whether Chesterfield faces substantial additional payments to Branscome and may influence how the county's other two disputed contracts with the contractor are resolved, potentially costing taxpayers millions depending on the verdict. The case also raises questions about the county's planning and contract oversight for major infrastructure projects.
Places
- Iron Bridge Road
- Whitepine Road
- Frith Lane
- Winterpock Road
- West Hundred Road
- Bermuda Triangle Road
- Rivers Bend Boulevard
Development timeline
- 2019West Hundred Road project contract signed: Branscome contracted to widen West Hundred Road and adjacent roads; initial completion target April 2022 [source]
- 2021Iron Bridge Road widening contract awarded: $11.6 million contract awarded to Branscome for widening between Whitepine Road and Frith Lane [source]
- 2023Iron Bridge Road project completed: Four-to-six lane widening completed; Branscome subsequently seeks additional $2.5 million in costs [source]
- August 2025Second lawsuit filed: Branscome filed second lawsuit seeking $3.4 million for Winterpock Road widening project [source]
- November 2025Third lawsuit filed: Branscome filed third lawsuit seeking $13.7 million for West Hundred Road widening project completed in 2024 [source]
- July 2026Trial date set for Iron Bridge dispute: Eight-day jury trial scheduled for September 2027 in Iron Bridge Road contractor dispute [source]
Related links
Read the original at Richmond BizSense →
Sources
- Jury trial set in contractor's dispute with Chesterfield over Iron Bridge widening project
- Chesterfield refuses to pay contractor that claims it's owed millions on two road projects
- Contractor claims for third time this year that it's owed millions from Chesterfield for road work