Since I work in the construction industry, I can't say I'm surprised by this:
The URA has just learned they drastically underestimated the Hot Metal Bridge pedestrian/trail project. According to an article in yesterday's PG, the estimated cost of the project was $6.5 million but the bids ranged from $9.2 to almost $12 million.
I don't know about you, but if I was 40% + off on an estimate, I'd probably start looking for a new job right away.
Since 2003, we've seen drastic increases in the price of domestic steel mainly due to a shortage of raw materials & also because foreign is much cheaper. This has just been completely ignored by our government planners.
There are many potential solutions & relief could be had by combining multiples measures to varying degrees: Utilize higher performance products that cost more initially but save millions over the life of a structure. Relax the domestic requirements to some degree. Redesign it.
Bottom line: The people in charge of these decisions are so out of touch with reality it's frightening. Next time you make a major purchase, stop for a moment & think about your budget, then imagine that the item you want costs 40% more than you can afford.
At that point, wouldn't any intelligent person relinquish their purchasing/planning duties in good conscience? Or would you just not buy a house, car, etc. until you could afford the exact one that you wanted, regardless of how inept & impractical your plan?
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