Oh New York. Always trying to one-up Boston.

But seriously, up to $10 billion for a bridge?

They need to rename it the Chimpanzee Bridge.

I've only driven across that bridge once while going to a Halloween party in Springfield, MA (I took 95 on the way back). Immediately after coming off the bridge a large metal thing fell off the undercarriage of my '93 Grand Am. To this day I have no idea what it was. It probably wasn't important, and beforehand the car was making a loud squeaking/ratcheting sound over bumps. The engine caught fire three years later.

Speaking as someone who's work as a general contractor doing large bridge work...

The reason for the delay is simple. Some company turned in their pre-qualification package at the last minute and they're still going over the paperwork.

For projects like this, you have to submit a lot of insurance and bonding documents, company resume of similar projects, proof that you have people and equipment to do this, etc etc.

FreakinB: the potential for cost overruns is horrible

What ever happened to the days where the govt contracts out a job like this and sticks to the contracted bid.

Ohhhh you went over... tough finish the project or we arrest you for fraud.

Saiga410: FreakinB: the potential for cost overruns is horrible

What ever happened to the days where the govt contracts out a job like this and sticks to the contracted bid.

Ohhhh you went over... tough finish the project or we arrest you for fraud.

I always wondered how legal doing THAT was.

..or in another case, the more recent 405 shutdown in LA. My understanding is that if the project ran late, the contractor would be fined $10k every 5 minutes.

Saiga410: FreakinB: the potential for cost overruns is horrible

What ever happened to the days where the govt contracts out a job like this and sticks to the contracted bid.

Ohhhh you went over... tough finish the project or we arrest you for fraud.

I believe cost overruns need to be substantiated beyond, "Oh, Jim Bob just took too long to dig that hole. He's getting a little slow in his advanced alcoholism." Things like engineering change orders, material defects, rise in prices for raw metal and diesel fuel, project complications due to unforeseen site conditions, and just plain old shiatty planning can add to the bottom line.

/ Not in the construction business but I have family that is.

soopey: Things like engineering change orders, material defects, rise in prices for raw metal and diesel fuel, project complications due to unforeseen site conditions, and just plain old shiatty planning can add to the bottom line.

If engineering change orders is a customer change then yes you can rejigger your contracted amount to realize that change. The others are saying ooopsy we did not look towards a worst case and only gave you an overly rosey bid. I know when I work a job I stick to the agreed amount no matter what jumps out in the design and build phase. A few jobs lost money, most make very good profit margin.

From Tappan A to Tappan Zee...

/oblig.

soopey: Oh New York. Always trying to one-up Boston.

But seriously, up to $10 billion for a bridge?

big ass bridge in poor repair...also a major artery so it can't simply be closed off en masse. all of this adds to a lot of money. Boston is a nice college town, NYC isn't even in your league...unless you are talking baseball.

That's some Big Dig math there...

Wookie Milson : From Tappan A to Tappan Zee...

Ohhh you've finally made a country out of me.

FreakinB: soopey: Oh New York. Always trying to one-up Boston.

But seriously, up to $10 billion for a bridge?

It's a really long bridge on a busy highway (NY Thruway), and it's in kind of a weird area geographically. There are huge hills on the west side. Not that I know too much about how much a bridge should cost, but I'd expect this one to be well above average.

The Tappan Zee is not where it is because it's the best place, it's there because Dewey didn't want the NY Port Authority to get the revenue.

BretMavrik: it's there because Dewey didn't want the NY Port Authority to get the revenue.

Thomas Dewey was an ass.

FreakinB: It's a really long bridge on a busy highway (NY Thruway), and it's in kind of a weird area geographically. There are huge hills on the west side. Not that I know too much about how much a bridge should cost, but I'd expect this one to be well above average.

To make it more fun, the original bridge was built during a steel embargo related to the Korean War, which meant they didn't have enough steel to build the original bridge properly, but what steel they got was sub-standard. The bridge was supposed to be temporary, designed to last only 20 years.

For the record, the new Bay Bridge in Oakland will be about $13bn when all is done, and it's half the length of the TZB (Oakland to YBI)

/Also a bridge contractor, whose company was prequalified for this project.

This is one of the many reasons to tear down the bridge and build nothing in its place.