Dive Brief:
- Since 2010, repair costs for the Brooklyn Bridge have risen 60% to $811 million from its original estimate of $508 million, according to Curbed New York. In addition, the completion date — originally set for 2014 — has been pushed back to 2017.
- According to 2015 reports, the bridge needed more in-depth repairs than previously anticipated. More recently, the Mayor’s Office of Operations blamed the delays and overruns on adjustments to the scope of work and unexpected conditions on the bridge that required steel repairs, extra paint and attention to previously undetected damage.
- A Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) analyst said the Department of Transportation should have the same design-build authority as the state because it could save money and time, according to the New York Post.
Dive Insight:
The design-build delivery method has become increasingly popular in the construction community. In March, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted the benefits of design-build, particularly on large projects. Advocates have said that being able to use design-build on the $4 billion Tappan Zee bridge project has enabled construction to move along at a faster clip, but at that time, city officials expressed their hesitancy to make the leap to increase the use of the delivery method.
Earlier this year, Cuomo unveiled a two-year, $200 million bridge repair and replacement program. The competitive, application-based BRIDGE NY initiative focuses on structural issues first, then those bridges with weight restrictions and those at risk of flooding or impeding economic development. This program is similar to the federal FASTLANE initiative that funds transportation projects that promote efficiency in transportation.
Earlier this year, Cuomo unveiled his plans for "the largest construction program in the modern history of the state," which included the Penn Station renovation project, a $22 billion investment in upstate roads and bridges, the addition of a third track to the Long Island Rail Road’s Main Line, and a $1 billion plan to expand the city's main convention center, the Javits Center.