Is the new one 36 times better?
Is the new one 36 times better?
36 times more Union waste and fraud.
New one will be designed to last a millenia. Will the new one be a real bridge instead of a floating bridge?
noakistksjd wrote:
Will the new one be a real bridge instead of a floating bridge?
Nope!
Does that factor in the cost of environmental impact studies?
Material cost has greatly increased along with labor costs (what is the law that requires union level pay).
Bell View wrote:
36 times more Union waste and fraud.
Don't worry, Hillary will end all waste and fraud when she's President!
Hahahahahahahahaha!
HardLoper wrote:
Is the new one 36 times better?
Do you have proof that the old one cost $127 million inflation adjusted? How did you calculate the inflation?
What do you think happened? The bureaucrats and contractors lined their pockets. Just another day in America.
If you read about it, you'll see that the new bridge is much larger (4x as wide), has two extra HOV lanes, plus bike paths, and can accommodate light rail in the future.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/About/BridgeFacts.htm
Worth it if the new one has more pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
jjjjj wrote:
If you read about it, you'll see that the new bridge is much larger (4x as wide), has two extra HOV lanes, plus bike paths, and can accommodate light rail in the future.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge/About/BridgeFacts.htm
It is only 1.86 times as wide - 60 feet to 112 feet, from 4 lanes to 6.
jamin wrote:
What do you think happened? The bureaucrats and contractors lined their pockets. Just another day in America.
How did the bureaucrats line their pockets with this?
As someone who has worked as a PM for a general contractor and done government project here's my experience.
A lot of our government projects we pretty much knew we were going to get the job. Different groups have their preferred contractors and this hurts them as far as getting competitive bids. We definitely would have bid at lower prices for commercial customers. Also the government groups have so many ridiculous rules and specifications that drive up prices.
Also the government people I've worked with as a group were the most unknowledgeable incompetent group of people I've ever worked with, few exceptions. Projects always dragged on and had delays, all of which adds cost. Despite their massive spec books they always missed things or you could exclude things in the contract and they wouldn't notice. Then you charge them change orders that are marked up because they don't know better. And they don't put up the same fight financially since its the government whereas a company looking at its bottomline fights waste much harder.
For the construction industry things also just cost more now. Some of this has to do with over engineering and increased building code. A lot more administrative costs. Also increased safety and workplace condition standards make things take longer and more expensive.
And I'm sure with a government project that large there was some "deals with friends" that cost the government more.
is this why they are changing the marathon route? bridge replacement?
Don't know about a course change but I don't remember the route going on the 520 bridge.
A GC wrote:
As someone who has worked as a PM for a general contractor and done government project here's my experience.
A lot of our government projects we pretty much knew we were going to get the job. Different groups have their preferred contractors and this hurts them as far as getting competitive bids. We definitely would have bid at lower prices for commercial customers. Also the government groups have so many ridiculous rules and specifications that drive up prices.
Also the government people I've worked with as a group were the most unknowledgeable incompetent group of people I've ever worked with, few exceptions. Projects always dragged on and had delays, all of which adds cost. Despite their massive spec books they always missed things or you could exclude things in the contract and they wouldn't notice. Then you charge them change orders that are marked up because they don't know better. And they don't put up the same fight financially since its the government whereas a company looking at its bottomline fights waste much harder.
For the construction industry things also just cost more now. Some of this has to do with over engineering and increased building code. A lot more administrative costs. Also increased safety and workplace condition standards make things take longer and more expensive.
And I'm sure with a government project that large there was some "deals with friends" that cost the government more.
Someone like this has to be bid out right? How would you know you're going to get the contract?
Or with this do most of the bidder know they'll get some part of it so they bod high.
I've privately railed against the cost of a lot of road projects so I'm glad to see this thread. Huge overpasses barely existested twenty years ago and now they are everywhere.
For some reason the domestic big projects construction industry just isn't very competitive. The Oresund bridge / tunnel in high wage countries Denmark / Sweden is 3 times as long and contains a long tunnel section and still "only" cost an inflation adjusted $4 billion.
*happened
Bring Back the 880 wrote:
Worth it if the new one has more pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
It's the f***ing bikers' fault.
HardLoper wrote:
Is the new one 36 times better?
Capitalism happened.
RIP: D3 All-American Frank Csorba - who ran 13:56 in March - dead
RENATO can you talk about the preparation of Emile Cairess 2:06
Running for Bowerman Track Club used to be cool now its embarrassing
Hats off to my dad. He just ran a 1:42 Half Marathon and turns 75 in 2 months!
Great interview with Steve Cram - says Jakob has no chance of WRs this year
Rest in Peace Adrian Lehmann - 2:11 Swiss marathoner. Dies of heart attack.