FRESNO (KMJ) – California’s High Speed Rail seeking more money and time.
Construction delays on a 29-mile segment of the High Speed Rail project are costing millions.
A report presented to Rail Authority Board members shows that the contractor will be paid delay compensation for the Fresno Madera segment – the build deadline extended by 17 months to August, 2019.
Assemblyman Jim Patterson – an opponent to the project – has a bill on the Senate floor that he says will hold HSR accountable.
“The response has been quite encouraging, frankly, because its gone through the Assembly on consent. It’s passed through all the committees over on the Senate side, it’s sitting on the Senate floor. I think they’ll take it up pretty soon, and they’ll make a decision, my guess is it goes to the Governor and we’ll have to see what the Governor wants to do.” – Assemblyman Jim Patterson.
The HSR authority says they budgeted for the overage – an increase of $35 million and a new completion date is December 2018.
In 2013, the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) entered into an agreement for the realignment of 2.5 miles of State Route 99 in the City of Fresno to accommodate high-speed rail. Construction cost estimates at that time resulted in an agreement for $225.9 million, with project completion by June 2018. As the project advanced we have gained additional information resulting in an increase of $35 million for construction and a new completion date of December 2018, all of which has been accounted for and budgeted in the cost estimates included in the 2016 Business Plan. This does not impact the overall construction schedule or budget for the first construction segment in the Central Valley. – High Speed Rail Authority.
