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.
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.
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.
That number isn't unreasonable if there are no utilities, traffic or restricted hours to deal with. In other word, a job that never happens.