As if the Tysons "Aerial Option" Wasn't Bad Enough

By: Lowell
Published On: 4/10/2007 8:13:26 AM

See today's Washington Post for why construction on this project-from-hell is going to be an outright disaster:

State transportation officials have not set aside money to manage traffic in the already-congested Tysons Corner area during the two major commuter projects that are to begin construction during the next year, Fairfax County leaders said yesterday.

If money is not found to keep traffic flowing while an aboveground Metrorail line through the heart of Tysons and additional commuter lanes on the nearby Capital Beltway are built, the region's largest shopping district and employment center could be paralyzed by gridlock, local officials said.

Wonderful. And after the "gridlock," we're going to get what exactly?  A fundamentally flawed "aerial" option using a no-bid contract to Bechtel, costing more than the tunnel option and severely harming any chance for Tysons to be a liveable, walkable, model "edge city."  Great stuff, huh?

Comments



Wait... (Kryndis - 4/10/2007 9:03:44 AM)
So is the aerial option a done deal at this point?  I thought there was still at least some hope of a tunnel.  Sorry, haven't been following this one much lately.


Not a 100% done deal... (Lowell - 4/10/2007 9:04:32 AM)
...but very close.  What a fiasco.


And Bechtel is coming.... (Rebecca - 4/10/2007 9:32:54 AM)
Stories keep rolling in about fraud committed by Bechtel on other projects. They had been given the sole contract for the FEMA traliers after Katrina. They did what they usually do, -take a huge cut and hire subcontractors who then boondoogle their way through creating non-work situations where they get paid. Trailers were left standing vacant because subcontractors were getting money for inspecting trailers and they wouldn't get that if they removed them. They just kept putting the inspection papers on the empty trailers. And they weren't even inspecting them.

Perhaps the only good news here is that RK will have plenty to write about during this project.