I was at an event Sunday where I saw a buddy who is with a good-sized general contractor. They are trying to bid stimulus work that has just been thrown out there with very incomplete document sets (plans and specifications). Infrastructure projects with important details like pipe wall thickness specifications not nailed down, that sort of thing. When they ask for clarification, they get told to “bid it the best you can with what you’ve got”.
I predict huge cost overruns and little value for all the money we’re throwing around.
I went to a public meeting last week for a stimulus project. The public had some very good questions about the project but the mayor and transportation department officials had very few answers.
The project manager either had not decided, not crossed that bridge yet, or felt certain aspects of the project could not be addressed until later into the project.
This project will add one half of turn lane under a railroad bridge yeilding space for about 10 more cars to sit in traffic during rush hour. There is already one existing turn lane. Total cost is $10.1 million
Complete waste of money.