No Fig Leafs On True Cost

摘要

The Colorado veterans hospital and "Bertha," the Seattle tunnel-boring machine, are symbols of public-works incompetence. From the outset of big projects-stadiums, hospital complexes, tunnels-we need to be honest with the public that such projects can easily run into trouble with scope, schedule and budgets. The U.S. 183 toll-lane project in Austin, for example, is the latest to confirm a heart-stopping cost increase. Five years ago, before large scope additions, the cost was $226 million. The 2016 cost is triple that figure.