Legends of Hutto Drainage Work: Posted Finish Date Moves to Spring 2027

By Abel Landin · October 20, 2026

The posted finish date for the current Legends of Hutto drainage work has moved from August 24, 2026, to May 4, 2027. That is more than eight months later. ^[1]

Those dates come from the city’s project page, last updated September 21. They may change. The October 1 council update raised more concerns about pipes and lines in the work area. ^{[1] [5]}

What crews are building

Plans call for crews to replace grass-lined ditches with concrete channels. The work also includes a wall to hold back soil and changes to a pond’s drain. The pond holds rainwater for a time before letting it flow out. ^[2]

Why the work has taken longer

At the August 6 council meeting, staff said two contract changes were needed to get work going again. These are called change orders. They can change the cost, the work, or the time allowed. ^[3]

One change dealt with a waterline in the way of a planned wall. The line was missing from city records. A check for buried pipes had not found it. A sewer line also limited where the wall could go. Engineers changed the wall plans, which meant more digging and concrete work. ^[4]

That change added $103,476.87 and 36 days. A second change added $152,512.48 and 149 days. Staff said a mix-up during bidding had left needed materials out of the price. ^{[1] [3]}

The two August changes added $255,989.35 in all. That is the cost of those changes alone, not the full project.

More problems reported October 1

Kate Moriarty gave council an update on three issues. ^[5]

AT&T line

Staff were checking why an AT&T line in the way of the work had not been flagged earlier. Moriarty said AT&T was treating the move as a rush job. Crews were expected the next day or early the next week. Staff did not yet know if it would add a delay.

Enterprise gas line

Staff reported a broken concrete cap over an Enterprise line in one ditch. Moriarty said Enterprise believed the city should do and pay for the repairs. Staff were talking with the company and planned to seek advice from city lawyers.

This issue was not holding up work on October 1. The builder expected to reach that spot in about two months. Staff wanted to settle the issue before crews got there.

Another waterline

Moriarty said crews had struck a working waterline behind Curley Court that city staff had not known was there. Staff were checking how to build around it. She said it should affect that spot rather than the rest of the work.

The October 1 update did not give a new finish date. It also did not confirm that the AT&T or Enterprise issues were fixed. ^[5]

What the finish dates mean

The city lists two dates for the work after Change Order 3. ^[1]

April 3, 2027: “Substantial completion.” In plain terms, the main work is ready for use, though some tasks may remain.

May 4, 2027: “Final completion.” This is when the remaining work should be done.

Which ditches are covered?

The current work is Phase I, or the first part of the project. Some ditches are outside this phase.

For example, a city staff reply on the project page says the ditch between Herrera Trail and Legends of Hutto Trail is not part of the work now being built. At the time of that reply, later phases were not yet in design. Staff gave no start date for that ditch. ^[1]

The May 2027 date applies to the current phase. It does not mean every ditch in the neighborhood will be fixed by then.