The CHSR project’s Fresno River viaduct is seen in 2018. California High-Speed Rail Authority photo.
Dealing with an environmentally sensitive area, California’s high-speed rail project is polluting its budget, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
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LA Times hit the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) with another black eye in a Feb. 22 report that claims the agency went with the lowest bidder on a 65-mile section in Kings County and is now paying the ultimate price. The area is full of environmental obstacles, including an ancient lakebed and a fertile agricultural belt south of Fresno.
Back in 2014, Spain-based contractor Dragados USA promised it could do the work for $300 million less than the next lowest bidder, but design changes have led to more than $800 million in cost overruns and construction delays, LA Times Special Correspondent Ralph Vartabedian wrote.