That melted freeway thing

[hrj]

Ok, so I wouldn't be quite as interested in the repairs on the melted freeway if it weren't my nextdoor neighbor. But I'm being refreshingly impressed by how efficiently CalTrans and the repair contractor have gotten it back in operation. CalTrans offered a contract with a sizable bonus for every day they finished earlier than 50 days. They finished in 26 days. All week they've been promising that they'd have the roadway open in time for tomorrow's holiday-bound traffic. They opened it a few hours ago. You read the interviews with the people working on the repairs and there's this excitement and joy at meeting the challenge. (Ok, so there was quite a bit of profit too.) Why can't public projects work this way more often?

Comments

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

Melted freeway? Did I miss an Interesting Event?

[herveus.livejournal.com]

A gasoline tanker (8000 gallons) hit one of the pylons for the aerial structures and burned. The heat caused steel beams to weaken and collapse, taking out a *major* interchange. Amazingly enough, no one was seriously injured, including the truck driver.

I'm impressed with the speed of the repairs. Early completion bonuses can really motivate the contractor to crack the whip and work more around the clock.

[hrj.livejournal.com]

To correct slightly: it didn't hit one of the pylons, the truck simply went out of control at speed on a curve, fell over, and skidded -- happening to come to firey rest directly under the overpass.

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

The state has to waive the usual paperwork for this to be allowed. Obviously, it works.

[ermine-rat.livejournal.com]

Caltrans also provided timely information to this contractor as to their code requirements and standards for this job, this usually takes a few weeks for every inquiry.

This company also did the big interchange after the LA earthquake, way under time and budget with similar incentives regarding the completion time.

The state has allowed these critical projects to be done without the usual bidding process and other regulation that parses large jobs out to several registered small businesses and minority-owned companies.

I wonder how fast he could do a fourth bore in the Caldecott? That is estimated to take years...by Caltrans.

[dame-cordelia.livejournal.com]

I happen to work in the same place as the son of the head of Caltrans. Maybe I'll run into him early next week and ask him about the Caldecott tunnel - with tongue in cheek, of course.