By STEVE LEBLANC, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON - The Big Dig is riddled with leaks that are dumping millions of gallons of water into the $14.6 billion tunnel system, according to an engineer hired to investigate the cause of a massive leak in September.
Related Links
• BigDig.com - official site
• Beyond the Big Dig (Boston Globe)
Locating and fixing the hundreds of leaks could take up to 10 years, said Jack K. Lemley, a consultant hired by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to investigate the problem. The last major leg of the Big Dig project opened less than a year ago.
"There is no public safety issue," Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello said Wednesday, adding that the tunnels remain structurally sound. He said a certain amount of leakage is inevitable, and the drainage system is keeping water off the roadways.
Lemley told The Boston Globe that repairing September's leak alone would require two months and lane closures. Amorello said that taxpayers and motorists who pay tolls will not foot the bill for whatever repairs are needed.
Lemley's team found documents showing that managers of Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the private consortium that managed the project, were aware that the wall breached this fall was faulty when it was built in the late 1990s, but did not order it replaced and did not notify state officials.
Retired judge Edward M. Ginsburg, leader of a state-appointed team reviewing overcharges by Big Dig contractors, said he has spoken to Attorney General Tom Reilly about filing a lawsuit targeting Bechtel and Modern Continental, the contractor that built the wall section that leaked in September.
"I can honestly say we were shocked," Ginsburg told the Globe. "I can assure you we're going to make sure there is a thorough investigation."
Jordan Levy, a member of the Turnpike Authority board, called for an emergency meeting of the board this week and suggested Bechtel should be investigated for possible criminal wrongdoing.
Either the Bechtel project was incompetent or there was "malfeasance at the highest level," Levy said. He added that tax dollars would be spent to fix the problem "over my dead body."
The 8-inch leak that sprang up in September in the northbound lanes of Interstate 93 caused 10-mile backups.
Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff issued a statement Tuesday saying the cause of the leak was still under investigation.
"In a tunnel of this construction type, seepage is inevitable, but is mitigated by proper engineering and maintenance programs, which have been planned for and are in place," the company statement said.
Modern Continental, the largest contractor on the project, said its workmanship "was in accordance with contract plans and specifications."
The September leak was the latest in a series of embarrassing episodes in the two-decade construction of the Big Dig, formally called the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project.
The Big Dig replaced the elevated Central Artery of Interstate 93 with underground tunnels through downtown Boston. It also connected Interstate 90 — the Massachusetts Turnpike — to Logan International Airport, and added the Ted Williams Tunnel beneath Boston Harbor.
BOSTON - The Big Dig is riddled with leaks that are dumping millions of gallons of water into the $14.6 billion tunnel system, according to an engineer hired to investigate the cause of a massive leak in September.
Related Links
• BigDig.com - official site
• Beyond the Big Dig (Boston Globe)
Locating and fixing the hundreds of leaks could take up to 10 years, said Jack K. Lemley, a consultant hired by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to investigate the problem. The last major leg of the Big Dig project opened less than a year ago.
"There is no public safety issue," Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello said Wednesday, adding that the tunnels remain structurally sound. He said a certain amount of leakage is inevitable, and the drainage system is keeping water off the roadways.
Lemley told The Boston Globe that repairing September's leak alone would require two months and lane closures. Amorello said that taxpayers and motorists who pay tolls will not foot the bill for whatever repairs are needed.
Lemley's team found documents showing that managers of Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the private consortium that managed the project, were aware that the wall breached this fall was faulty when it was built in the late 1990s, but did not order it replaced and did not notify state officials.
Retired judge Edward M. Ginsburg, leader of a state-appointed team reviewing overcharges by Big Dig contractors, said he has spoken to Attorney General Tom Reilly about filing a lawsuit targeting Bechtel and Modern Continental, the contractor that built the wall section that leaked in September.
"I can honestly say we were shocked," Ginsburg told the Globe. "I can assure you we're going to make sure there is a thorough investigation."
Jordan Levy, a member of the Turnpike Authority board, called for an emergency meeting of the board this week and suggested Bechtel should be investigated for possible criminal wrongdoing.
Either the Bechtel project was incompetent or there was "malfeasance at the highest level," Levy said. He added that tax dollars would be spent to fix the problem "over my dead body."
The 8-inch leak that sprang up in September in the northbound lanes of Interstate 93 caused 10-mile backups.
Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff issued a statement Tuesday saying the cause of the leak was still under investigation.
"In a tunnel of this construction type, seepage is inevitable, but is mitigated by proper engineering and maintenance programs, which have been planned for and are in place," the company statement said.
Modern Continental, the largest contractor on the project, said its workmanship "was in accordance with contract plans and specifications."
The September leak was the latest in a series of embarrassing episodes in the two-decade construction of the Big Dig, formally called the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project.
The Big Dig replaced the elevated Central Artery of Interstate 93 with underground tunnels through downtown Boston. It also connected Interstate 90 — the Massachusetts Turnpike — to Logan International Airport, and added the Ted Williams Tunnel beneath Boston Harbor.
Now, the big dig has final made it easy to navigate Boston but the contractors should BE held liable for this and fix it at no cost to us. I have used it and it's reinvented Boston traffic, and speaking to a few contractors some companies have gone Tits Up over this huge project.
All I saying is I'm sick of paying for it.
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