Inspector General's Report Indicates $65M Claim Against Big Dig Contractor

The report outlines how deficient work by Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff cost Massachusetts millions of dollars. Last fall the Inspector General stated that he recommended to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority that the issue outlined in this report "be included in the Big Dig cost recovery effort and is now indicative of the cost recovery initiatives underway at the Turnpike Authority."

The Inspector General says, "This is just one example of the Turnpike Authority disputing a construction contractor's claim for more money after a design-related problem arose during construction. When the Big Dig's case against paying the contractor for the overrun proved unsuccessful, the case was closed and payment to the contractor was made. However, in this case, as in other cases, the Big Dig's cost recovery efforts stopped short of making a subsequent claim against the only other party potentially responsible for the cost overruns, Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the preliminary designer and construction manager of the contract."

The $65 million in contractor claims discussed in the report relates to ground movement, or "grout heave," during soil stabilization operations at the Route-93 Central Artery/Knee land to Congress Street construction site between mid-1997 to June 1998. The Inspector General's report found that these claims may be attributable to deficient work by Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff.

The findings in the report indicate that these costs may be attributable to Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff's failure to anticipate construction difficulty; prepare adequate contract specifications; conduct an adequate ground monitoring operation; investigate and gather sufficient information regarding contractor claims; and, document evidence and decisions.

Meanwhile, the legislation proposed by Secretary of State William Galvin to allow the state to pursue claims on contractors on the Big Dig for up to 10 years passed the Senate by unanimous vote. The bill still needs to be approved by the House and the governor.