Posted on 05/08/2016 7:03:44 AM PDT by Olog-hai
The reconstruction of Sandy-battered Route 35 is soaking New Jersey taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars in cost overruns, an Asbury Park Press investigation reveals.
The newspaper found that the project, announced by Gov. Chris Christie in 2013, is already $76 million over budget and a year behind schedule. The potential final cost of $341 million means that the 12.5-mile road construction in Ocean County will cost a jaw-dropping $27.3 million per mile — making it one of the most expensive road projects in the state.
The Asbury Park Press, which called the project a “boondoggle,” found that the state paid about $24.5 million to have three contractors essentially stop working during design and summer delays. …
(Excerpt) Read more at nj1015.com ...
I’ll do it for 20 million
Look for the cronies. Crispy Creme for Beep? I don’t think so.
Reason #237 to move out of new jersey....
Contracts were probably negotiated at the Bada Bing
That sounds about $5,000 per foot.
I had nothing to compare this cost to. Googling the topic it appears the usual high end for road construction is $8 - $10M per mile in urban areas. Less elsewhere.
There are a lot beaks to wet in Joisey.
Everybody knows that.
I didn’t post the APP story because they are part of Gannett.
What the state claims is that this part of roadway was built to survive the next hurricane (it’s two lanes northbound and two lanes southbound, the latter on a former railroad); but that does not explain the cost overruns, especially the non-construction costs thereof.
Sounds like my state of MA.
That’s still only one fourth of the price of an average light-rail, which is a hundred million per mile.
Within NJ, yes (the Hudson-Bergen mess, which was mostly built on existing railroads). Most “light rail” averages double the cost cited here. So awesome when government micromanages what was once (for the most part) the private sector, yes?
A main thoroughfare in my town was reconfigured from 2 1/2 lanes to 2 lanes and 2 bicycle lanes with cop hidey-holes down the centre for a mere 6.5 million dollars.
Oh, it’s a half-mile stretch... Over a hill...
You can see it on Google earth:
48*27’15.5” and 123*26’19” to
48*27”9.6” and 123*25’46”.
Then there’s the “Rock Sculpture” for 65 feet alongside that cost another $180K.
And my street still doesn’t have proper grading or sidewalks.
This road is flat, pre graded , without difficult foundation work to be done.
The cost is ludicrous.
Are any of you critics familiar with the details of the project? Have any of you ever reconstructed a highway in a old, high density population tourist area? Have any of you ever built a road or taken the risks of bidding large public works projects in urban area.
I have, that job is a bear, and the Contractors, Harms, Reid Agate, Reid and Creamer do not do business in the Bada Bing Club.
Your comments make you sound foolish.
And in closing Governor Christie had NO say in who got what, it was strictly based on low bidder wins.
Johnny Sack and the New York boys also want a taste.
Don’t forget the affirmative action tokens (required to get the bid) that stand in a line waving traffic flags while the real men do the actual work; gotta pay for the re-distribution angle as well!
A bit over $5,000/ft.
That’s a bargain for a government project.
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