520 Bridge mistakes have already cost taxpayers $100M
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SEATTLE -- Washington's Department of Transportation may be admitting its mistakes with the 520 Bridge but it's you, the taxpayers, who will wind up paying for those mistakes.
The KOMO 4 Problem Solvers sued the state, and won, to get information about how much those mistakes will cost us. After digging into the public records, we've discovered the total is already well over $100 million.
"Clearly, this is beginning to spiral out of control," said Washington Policy Center's Vice President Paul Guppy, an organization that advocates for taxpayers on issues of public policy.
The numbers also surprise Eva Zemplenyi with the "No Tolls on I-90' group,"
"We feel that we have not been given the straight story," she said.
The new 520 bridge -- at a total anticipated cost of $4.1 billion dollars was already the most expensive public works project in the state. WSDOT gleefully pointed to cost-savings as contract bids came in low and federal grants saved other money. But most of those savings will never make it to taxpayers -- and you can blame it on the problems we first uncovered with the pontoons.
For months, a Problem Solver investigation has spotlighted problems with cracks and leaks in the massive floating concrete structures that will hold up the new bridge. But WSDOTrefused to tell us how much repairing those pontoons will cost. Yesterday, out-going Secretary Paula Hammond reiterated the Agency's position, "we cannot and will not negotiate the financial settlement with the contractor in the media."
KOMO 4 News sued WSDOT for those documents and finally received them: Weekly Reports for all three current contracts involved in 520 construction. Two of them involve those troubled pontoons and are with prime contractor Kiewit.
As of last November: Projections for extra costs to build the pontoons in Aberdeen and to repair the pontoons out on Lake Washington hit a stunning $86.4 million dollars.
When we added the projected extra costs for the 3rd contract with Eastside Corridor Construction which is connecting 520 to the eastside, as well as the extra costs the state's already agreed to pay it adds up to a shocking $153.8 million dollars.
"We're concerned about who's in charge overseeing that the costs don't go out of control," said Washington Policy Center's Paul Guppy.
Guppy adds it may be time for new Governor Jay Inslee to call a timeout - and do a top to bottom review of the 520 project.
"Taking a pause may be a way for them to get a handle on these problems," he said.
At the same time, the legislature wants to add tolls on I-90 to help pay for the 520 bridge -- unpopular at any time -- but with these mounting costs?
"I think it should bother every single user of I-90 and every single user of 520 because all of us are going to have to pay," Zemplenyi said.
Zemplenyi also believes it's time for a re-set on the 520 Bridge Project, saying, " I think that they need to take a time out as to building the pontoons and seeing what's happening there."
WSDOT says the 520 Project started with a $250 million dollar contingency fund. Their own projections show that as of last November as much as $153 million is already accounted for. At the same time the Project still has not finalized a contract for the fourth and final section of the corridor through Seattle and connecting to Interstate 5. And the 520 Bridge is still more than two years away from completion.
The KOMO 4 Problem Solvers sued the state, and won, to get information about how much those mistakes will cost us. After digging into the public records, we've discovered the total is already well over $100 million.
"Clearly, this is beginning to spiral out of control," said Washington Policy Center's Vice President Paul Guppy, an organization that advocates for taxpayers on issues of public policy.
The numbers also surprise Eva Zemplenyi with the "No Tolls on I-90' group,"
"We feel that we have not been given the straight story," she said.
The new 520 bridge -- at a total anticipated cost of $4.1 billion dollars was already the most expensive public works project in the state. WSDOT gleefully pointed to cost-savings as contract bids came in low and federal grants saved other money. But most of those savings will never make it to taxpayers -- and you can blame it on the problems we first uncovered with the pontoons.
For months, a Problem Solver investigation has spotlighted problems with cracks and leaks in the massive floating concrete structures that will hold up the new bridge. But WSDOTrefused to tell us how much repairing those pontoons will cost. Yesterday, out-going Secretary Paula Hammond reiterated the Agency's position, "we cannot and will not negotiate the financial settlement with the contractor in the media."
KOMO 4 News sued WSDOT for those documents and finally received them: Weekly Reports for all three current contracts involved in 520 construction. Two of them involve those troubled pontoons and are with prime contractor Kiewit.
As of last November: Projections for extra costs to build the pontoons in Aberdeen and to repair the pontoons out on Lake Washington hit a stunning $86.4 million dollars.
When we added the projected extra costs for the 3rd contract with Eastside Corridor Construction which is connecting 520 to the eastside, as well as the extra costs the state's already agreed to pay it adds up to a shocking $153.8 million dollars.
"We're concerned about who's in charge overseeing that the costs don't go out of control," said Washington Policy Center's Paul Guppy.
Guppy adds it may be time for new Governor Jay Inslee to call a timeout - and do a top to bottom review of the 520 project.
"Taking a pause may be a way for them to get a handle on these problems," he said.
At the same time, the legislature wants to add tolls on I-90 to help pay for the 520 bridge -- unpopular at any time -- but with these mounting costs?
"I think it should bother every single user of I-90 and every single user of 520 because all of us are going to have to pay," Zemplenyi said.
Zemplenyi also believes it's time for a re-set on the 520 Bridge Project, saying, " I think that they need to take a time out as to building the pontoons and seeing what's happening there."
WSDOT says the 520 Project started with a $250 million dollar contingency fund. Their own projections show that as of last November as much as $153 million is already accounted for. At the same time the Project still has not finalized a contract for the fourth and final section of the corridor through Seattle and connecting to Interstate 5. And the 520 Bridge is still more than two years away from completion.
I urge everyone to please read the contract documents for yourself. The entire contract can be found on WSDOT's webpage at: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/biz/contaa/DESIGNBUILDCONTRACTS/SR520BRIDGEREPLACEMENT/
Please pay special attention to the Conformed Documents, Final RFP Chapter 2, Section 2.14 Pontoons (beginning on page 136).
At this point in my life, 38, I don't care. I really don't care about any of this BS anymore. It's a waste of my feelings. I've decided human beings are pretty stupid in every capacity. They have, we have this self entitlement attitude, this what's in for me type thing going on fueled with ignorance and stupid-ness. I hate my own species, I do -- love a handful of people but only because it's instinct to do so. We are going to die out, one can hope.
And Olympia wanders why we are so tired of the tax and spend till it is all gone that keeps happening. Now they just got an easy pass for raising taxes and the will of the people has been tossed out again. So glad to be leaving this state. King County you voted for it now you got it. Mercer Island quit your whining you voted for them also.
This is just another good example of why our state government never seems to have enough money. They keep wanting more taxes and fees and yet they find it completely acceptable to keep blowing through millions of dollars with mistakes like this. The money they waste would go a long ways towards balancing the budget.
What we really need to do is get those responsible for this fiasco, stick them on a rail, douse them with tar and feathers and give them a rid out of town. Next we sell all their worldly goods that they have to try to pay some of that $100 M back to us tax payers. KOMO did a fantastic job of digging on this one. Now they need to put the names of those responsible out to the public.
Kudos to Komo for uncovering this disaster, but does it matter? Not only did we pay for a faulty design, but now we have to pay for the fix, and it doesn't look like there's any relief for the taxpayer. The builder and designers will be paid anyway. Maybe it would have been cheaper in the long run to just build the bridge and let it end up in Lake WA like the Mercer Island floating bridge did several years ago. After all, the WSDOT seems like they couldn't give a crap less because they know that we're going to pay the tab regardless of the outcome.
Why ddnt the DOT put a stop to this before the costs became soooooooooo large???????? Â People need to be fired! Â Not just one person, MANY!!!! Â Search the 520 bridge on google and you can see the issues have been long and too many to name. Â What part werent they understanding? Â THE DOT NEEDS REFORM!!!! Â Incompetent!! Â Sorry but I have been following this for some time and will never understand how they let this go on for so long!!
Why can't the company who built this mess be responsible for their own screw up, or even the WSDOT idiots who approved the project. I'll bet if this happened even once, they would be a lot more diligence in their next project, like the tunnel on the water front.
I bet that if the money had to come out of the pockets from those who are managing this bridge build would make sure this bridge is the rock of Gebralter.
This project is completely being handled recklessly both literally and fiscally.
So how can we make the changes we need to? Enough of the complaining, it doesn't get anything done. We need action.
SCREW THIS STATE AND IT'S USELESS LAWMAKERS! This state is robbing people blind.
I think it is time to move.Â
@Tattooed_Angel2Â NO IT'S TIME TO STANDUP AND FIGHT BACK..VOTE THEM O.U.T.
So raise the tolls on the 520 bridge to pay for the DOT scew ups. Another $5 a trip should do it, except of course the rich on Mercer Island will be exempt. Then watch how many people drive around the bridge. Then see how well the investors for the bonds on the bridge like that. Maybe with a little luck these bondholders will quit investing in these boondoggles.
I've seen tunnels under the English channel, under the Bosphous Strait, bridges in Europe built by the Romans still standing and being used...we can't build a pontoon across a river I can probably swim across! Aw well, the taxpayers purse is bottomless...what the heck?
The reason the state is stuck with the bill is because WADOT did not design these properly so Keiwit has every right as a contractor to charge them for the blunders. I don't like it either but that's what's going on, can you say "Change Order"...
@I_love_the_Mariners , the contractor is being investigated in california...
@I_love_the_Mariners Kiewit is ALSO at fault here. They are not using the materials that they were supposed to (instead opting to use cheaper concrete).Â
Kiewit should have NEVER been hired for this project. They have a horrible track record in building bridges. Just look at the San Fransisco Bay Bridge and the Vancouver BC bridge.
Well I guess they aren't rocket scientists. I agree with a previous contributor. Why not just copy a tried a proven I-90 bridge.
How much of this has to do with the imported Chinese cement I wonder. I know it's not all of it, but it's still ridiculous that they are doing it.Â
FOLLOW THE MONEY!!! Someone is making money off this at our expense. Washington State and cities such as Seattle are way overboard when it comes to wasting taxpayers money by throwing it at unnecessary expense items such as: this fiasco, lawsuits filed by criminals/criminals families, and many other items that do not benefit Washingtonians overall......
4.1 or 4.2 who cares?
Actually, I do. Thanks Komo for being a pit bull on this.Â
(my apologies to the pit bulls - it's just an expression)
People,people!,..Can't we just focus on the positives of a one hundered million dollar blunder?
Sadly not surprising considering this is how government contracts usually end up, submit lowest bid, get the contract, then charge it up. However the blatant waste of this project is shocking, at this rate the 520 will be $3-400 million over budget so that we can have a second rate patched up bridge.
I still would like to know why the state does not re negotiate with Kiewit, Iâm sure there are penalties to do so but it surely could not be over $150 million. Paula Hammond is such a crook, for months she has been stalling, and denying there was a problem, only admitted to it when she is about to leave.
Maybe the state accepted the design so that it can match the "listing ferries". Now they have a floating "listing" pantoon bridge. Imagine, when the pantoon's separates and start floating around, the state will have many "listing ferries".
I'm going to go around rather than use either bridge. Â I'll split my week and spend half in Seattle, Â drive around and spend the other half in Bellevue. Â Can't afford to drive around every day. Â And can't and WILL NOT pay tolls. Â I paid for the 520 bridge for years until the tolls stopped. Â I have not paid tolls since, using 90 instead. Â If 90 becomed tolled, I will simply not use it.
The money game is impossible to sustain. Â People are going broke. Â Broke people will not support a healthy economy.
Yet another load of BS government waste... there is a reason we like the 2/3's majority RULE for new taxes! So they have less money to waste on money pitt - mismanaged projects like this! This whole project needs to be taken out of state hands and given to the army core of engineers and made a INTERSTATE Bridge... the state cannot manage to get themselves out of a wet paper bag ... don't want them managing this project no more!
Don't be too quick to forget the graving yard incident in Port Angeles. The taxpayers via DOT paid to dig up a bunch of old bones and then paid a group of Native Americans for desecrating their burial grounds. Remember the pontoons were originally going to be built in Port Angeles? Big money went to waste that you aren't counting in this figure KOMO.
Sue the state for the damages, get your wasted, hard earned tax money back!
@Griffey24Â Your logic has a large hole in it. So you sue your self to get your money back. You must be a lawyer, they are the only ones who who would win.
Busy getting the big shoes, red nose along with the popcorn and cotton candy ready for the WSDOT next pontoon repair meeting....
Drive around on 405. And when they catch on there start driving up through the valley and avoid the the tolling spots.
The down side is all these roads were never meant to sustain this kind of traffic and they in turn will go to H-E double tooth picks in short order.
The idiots in charge don't see or get that they will be compounding the problems we already have.
@Handsup70 Seattle is losing my business. I stay on the East side as much as possible and usually drive north of the lake or via I-90 (depending on the time of day). I bet the Kenmore business appreciate my added business (coffee on the way to work in the mornings, swinging by the Safeway on my way home, etc).
Sound to me like the tolls on the 520 bridge are about go up all because our stupid government cant just refuse the faulty damaged bridge pontoons. If I were a state inspector and I was inspecting this garbage Chinese concrete construction, and saw all of the damage............ I wouldn't pass them off and I'd make the Company rebuild the parts ate their cost.Â
I've been in construction for over 25 years and I know for a fact that if I were to to shoddy work with damage like this ......... I WOULD GET SUED, and I'd loose. Â
How is this any different? Refuse the pontoons until they build them correctly and to specs. If they don't then you don't pay them a penny. I hope the State has a "completion by" penalty date in all of this.  O but wait............ If it's anything like the toll fee setup on the 520 bridge then the State will just waive the millions in late fees like they did for the company who botched the whole initial setup.Â
OUR STATE NEED TO GROW A PAIR and handle this like it's suppose to be handled. Â PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN!!!
Just as I wrote yesterday, "A screw up, oops, taxpayer's will pay for the damages." Poor Government Employee (not all) attitude. They should hold those responsible fiscally.Â
I can't wait for those who will comment trying to rationalize this b**ls**t and make excuses for the politicians.
That is a great idea! Let us do another survey of the review that we just reviewed about the survey we did prior to this and hold discussions on having another review conducted and re-evaluation of said review!
How about firing all involved and suing them for incompetence, poor workmanship, failure to follow protcols and failure to meet contractual obligations.
Give them back their Cr!p and move on with someone else that can do the job
@Handsup70 I agree. Time to take new bids to finish this mess. Should also be a rule that if you can get something locally (i.e. cement) then you should have to use it rather than buying from China!
They want to increase gas taxes, fine people who ride bicycles, increase car tabs without going to a citizen vote (because they can)Â
But... 520 is costing US TAXPAYERS $100 million, the new S. Seattle Transfer Station was initially estimated at $50 million and went $25 million over, they way things are being budgeted around here it will be a matter of time when we find out the Viaduct Tunnel is over budget and will cost tax payers insane amount of money. King County-Seattle specifically is a huge wet blanket on the rest of the state. I thought I would never say this but good job KOMO for getting this out there.Â
Let me get this straight. The head of the Washington DOT said they "made some mistakes". How do these clowns get their jobs? Why they are "appointed" by the ruleing party. This state has been pretty much controled by the democrats for what seems like forever.; guess WHO appointed these clowns??":
We made some mistakes, give us some more money to cover our ineptude!!
One can only imagine how good a job Democrats and their Unionized State Employees will do managing our Health Care.
@AttilaI have had two Union jobs in the last few years. I thought Unions were the way to go, seriously. They did bring the 8 hour work day, good benefits and a few other good things to help workers but my experience made me realize they were a mostly a joke. Â
The first experience was with a car rental company. Employees intentionally over charged customers when they walked away (after checking in and getting their car, this should be an undercover KOMO story), employees openly defied management because they knew they could get away with anything...It was unbelievable. If you were a manager with this company you had to look the other way or face the wrath of the union.
I saw employees who filed grievances because management wanted them to be accountable for themselves. Like not being on your cellphone at the counter or playing with your Ipad. There was a seniority system with the union employees and if you were on the bottom of the list, it meant you got the worst working hours. If somebody called out sick and you were at the bottom of the seniority list it meant you had to stay and cover their shift- even if it was a graveyard shift and you already worked all day-if you did not stay and work the double shift is was considered insubordination and were on the way to losing your job. >>>All Union rules.<<<
Then I worked in a trade union...I was an apprentice and the union I was part of was horrible also. This union had NO PROBLEM taking $45 out of each paycheck and I would not be able to have a voice for 5 years or even be part of the union until I was sworn in *in 5 years*. But it was o.k. for them to take my money out of each check, seriously it was a joke.Â
I could only imagine the road work that could have been done with that money.
I'm getting on board with the Democracy Workshop, Washington Policy Center, the No Tolls on I-90 Group; and any other group that stands up to stop tolls on I-90, and holds the backbone to make Washington State accountable for their own boondoggles. Why should taxpayers and I-90 users pay for the shoddy workmanship of Kiewit Construction on 520? It should be the WSDOT to miraculously get some backbone and sue THEM, not put the burden on us taxpayers. And Jay Inslee has a golden opportunity to step up and do the same.
It's called ACCOUNTABILITY; And us taxpayers are not accountable for Kiewit's mistakes, period.
Like others have posted, why, oh why do we keep voting in politicians with no backbone?
Hey, you people keep voting in the status quo. What did you expect?
I didn't vote for Paula Hammond. Did you?
@mstipton
Neither did any other voter.You voted in the gargoyle after her disastrous terms as Attorney General, where she only cost us millions.As Governor she then cost us billions.She appointed Hammond, but we are going to want even Hammond back very soon.Her replacement s a hot earth space cadet.
@mstipton Did you vote for the people who put her in charge?
When will we wake up and get rid of some of the morons. My god what a joke. I will never drive on that bridge.
Nothing new......it's WA, where going over budget & behind schedule is just a part of life!!!
no kidding