Boston's $14.8B Big Dig Finally Complete

Associated Press ^ | Dec. 25, 2007 | STEVE LeBLANC

[george76]

When the clock runs out on 2007, Boston will quietly mark the end of one of the most tumultuous eras in the city's history: The Big Dig, the nation's most complex and costliest highway project, will officially come to an end.

After a history marked by engineering triumphs, tunnels leaks, epic traffic jams, last year's death of a motorist crushed by falling concrete panels and a price tag that soared from $2.6 billion to a staggering $14.8 billion, there's little appetite for celebration.

Civil and criminal cases stemming from the July 2006 tunnel ceiling collapse continue, though on Monday the family of Milena Del Valle announced a $6 million settlement with Powers Fasteners...

Lawsuits are pending against other Big Dig contractors, and Powers Fasteners still faces a manslaughter indictment.

Officially, Dec. 31 marks the end of the joint venture that teamed megaproject contractor Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority ...

One of the biggest occurred in 2004 when water started pouring through a wall of the recently opened I-93 tunnel under downtown Boston. An investigation found the leak was caused by the failure to clear debris that became caught in the concrete in the wall during construction. Hundreds of smaller drips, most near the ceiling, were also found.

But the project's darkest day came near the end of construction in 2006 when suspended concrete ceiling panels in a tunnel leading to Logan Airport collapsed, crushing a car and killing Del Valle, 39, a passenger in the vehicle driven by her husband.

The tunnel was shut down for months...

Four workers also were killed working on the project.

The project's escalating budget also became an unwanted part of its legacy.

In 2000, former Big Dig head James Kerasiotes resigned after failing to disclose $1.4 billion in overruns...

[stocksthatgoup]

A Bargain at 1/10th the price.

[ProCivitas]

Hi NRA, re your: "Am I the first to ask how much of that money went into the pockets of corrupt politicians...?"

Good question about public officials in general; What effective methods do you suppose we have for detecting when someone involved with a public works project has opened off-shore bank accounts and/or arranged for 'bag-men' to receive bribe money/payoffs on their behalf?

Do y'all suppose we have any real verification/accountability at all re this stuff?

[org.whodat]

short answer None.

You do know that millions of pounds of steel from the world trade center was stolen and sold for scrap, with the whole new york police department and homeland security watching.

[IGOTMINE]

That would be a great You Tube find.

[ASOC]

Alaska is a BIG State. Come up for years and never visit the same place twice.

Since we live here, we can afford to visit the place we really like all the time - Seward, Homer, Tok and so on.

With an RV rig, we do limit oursleves a fair amout - but since I retired from the USAF, I really limit how much time I spend in small aircraft - the wife will not even climb into one.

[traviskicks]

ping

[massfreeper]

Another reason not to vote for Mitt Romney.

Not defending Romney, but what does he have to do with this debacle? The wheels were in motion long before he took office, and he couldn't have stopped it or changed it if he wanted to.

[foreverfree]

Bump and belated Merry CHRISTmas from a FReeper who rode the Silver Line through the Ted in 2006.

ff

[foreverfree]

How's that strip park that was supposed to be developed along the footprint of the Central Artery coming along? When I was in Boston in May 2006 it was still mounds of dirt.

ff

[Does so]

The Big Dig will NEVER be complete. There will be repairs galore..."

To fix the leaks, why don't they use the old wooden boat-builder's fix? Sprinkle sawdust above the leaks. The sawdust expands and seals the leaks. Easy-peazy. :^)

[Gay State Conservative]

Is it still leaking ?

Of course it is.Whaddya think this is...Georgia?

[Gay State Conservative]

Another reason not to vote for Mitt Romney.

This wasn't Romney's fault.The train had left the station *long* before he assumed office and the efforts he made to reign it in were soundly rebuffed by Kennedy,Kerry and the 90% RAT Massachusetts state legislature.

[GQuagmire]

Absolutely right about Romney. He sometimes deserves the criticism he gets but not in this case. Also the parks the author talked about are nowhere near done (and won’t be for a long time)

[chiefqc]

The first question that the life insurance company asks is “Do you use or ever think you will use this tunnel”, if the answer is yes your life inurance rates, if you can even get life insurance, will increase by twenty-five fold.

[reagan_fanatic]

The Tip O'Neill tunnel - figures. During his budget battles with Ronald Reagan, he was correctly compared to the runaway Federal budget at the time - fat and out of control.

I see his legacy extends to the tunnel as well.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

At $14,800,000,000 my guess is that the greater Boston area now has quite a few more millionaires.

[Doogle]

....guess the swimmer finally gave his blessing to wrap it up before the big spot light starts looking around for “off shore” accounts...what say you teddy? The recent NYT hit pieces got ya worried teddy?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem and george76.

Former Governor, Mike Huckabee’s Book
Quit Digging your Grave with a Knife and Fork Now Available...
Hispanic PR Wire | May 16, 2007 | NA
Posted on 12/24/2007 11:05:13 PM EST by neverdem
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1944004/posts

[related, if you really think about it...]