Big Dig firm seeking leak-fix payday

[Robbien]

While Big Dig work crews spend millions to fix defect-plagued Interstate 90 tunnel ceilings, the project’s largest contractor has stunned state officials by demanding repayment for repairs associated with leak problems and wall deficiencies in the I-93 tunnel, officials said yesterday.

A Massachusetts Turnpike Authority spokesman said Modern Continental has filed a legal claim with the state to recover repair expenses for the I-93 tunnel, which remains plagued by more than 200 leaks and wall imperfections.

. . .

Still, the mere existence of the company’s claim has sparked outrage among former Turnpike Authority officials who had repeatedly accused Modern Continental of poor workmanship and demanded speedy repairs without complaint. Modern Continental was the contractor on the I-90 Seaport connector tunnel where a ceiling collapse killed a Jamaica Plain woman in July.

“They are one of the companies along with Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff that the state should be nailing to the wall right now,” said former Turnpike board member Jordan Levy, who was vice chairman when a scandal over I-93 tunnel leaks exploded in 2004.

. . .

Modern Continental declined to comment yesterday, but a source with knowledge of the construction process said the company has remained steadfast in its view that most of the work to seal leaks and reinforce walls did not result from construction mistakes.

http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=159955

[petronius]

1. Well, they have a point...

the company has remained steadfast in its view that most of the work to seal leaks and reinforce walls did not result from construction mistakes.

It really wasn't "mistakes." Willful, criminal negligence, perhaps, or deliberate corner-cutting with easily foreseeable results, but not mistakes...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. LOL, if it wasn't so sad and dangerous, I'd be

on the floor.

How does one spell chutzpah, anyway?

[Kagemusha]

3. R-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-i-n

nt.