US shuns some big public works projects

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US shuns some big public works projects

NEWARK, N.J. – New Jersey's governor wants to kill a $9 billion-plus train tunnel to New York City because of runaway costs. Six thousand miles away, Hawaii's outgoing governor is having second thoughts about a proposed $5.5 billion rail line in Honolulu.

In many of the 48 states in between, infrastructure projects are languishing on the drawing board, awaiting the right mix of creative financing, political arm-twisting and timing to move forward. And a struggling economy and a surge of political candidates opposed to big spending could make it a long wait.

Has the nation that built the Hoover Dam, brought electricity to the rural South and engineered the interstate highway system lost its appetite for big public works projects? At a time when other countries are pouring money into steel and concrete, is the U.S. unwilling to think long-term?

"My sense is things have changed," said Andrew Goetz, a University of Denver professor and an expert on transportation policy. "People now tend to see any project as a waste of money, and that's just wrong."

"I call it the Bridge to Nowhere syndrome," he added. "High-profile projects get publicized and they become a symbol for any infrastructure project that's out there, and even the ones that are justified get tarnished by the same charge."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_will_to_build

i was just talking about this issue the other day....does anyone know if the costs of roads, bridges, dams cost what they did then as they do now...given inflation

its an interesting issue and one i think is important to this country, afterall....are we not the roman roads (interstate) of the modern age and are we losing our edge? like watermark and i were talking about the other day with highspeed rail....
 
i was just talking about this issue the other day....does anyone know if the costs of roads, bridges, dams cost what they did then as they do now...given inflation

220px-Mackinac_Bridge.jpg


found this....the Mackinac Bridge was designed to cost $30million, was given out on contract for $44million and was completed in 1957 at a cost of $100million.....currently they are trying to raise $300million to renovate it....

By the way, if you drive a Yugo you will not be allowed to cross the bridge, since in 1987 high winds blew a Yugo over the edge......it is not considered a design flaw of the bridge......design flaws of the Yugo are still under consideration.....
 
220px-Mackinac_Bridge.jpg


found this....the Mackinac Bridge was designed to cost $30million, was given out on contract for $44million and was completed in 1957 at a cost of $100million.....currently they are trying to raise $300million to renovate it....

By the way, if you drive a Yugo you will not be allowed to cross the bridge, since in 1987 high winds blew a Yugo over the edge......it is not considered a design flaw of the bridge......design flaws of the Yugo are still under consideration.....

That's when you say to the guy in front of you on this bridge on a blustery day:

"Yugo ahead of me"
 
US shuns some big public works projects

NEWARK, N.J. – New Jersey's governor wants to kill a $9 billion-plus train tunnel to New York City because of runaway costs. Six thousand miles away, Hawaii's outgoing governor is having second thoughts about a proposed $5.5 billion rail line in Honolulu.

In many of the 48 states in between, infrastructure projects are languishing on the drawing board, awaiting the right mix of creative financing, political arm-twisting and timing to move forward. And a struggling economy and a surge of political candidates opposed to big spending could make it a long wait.

Has the nation that built the Hoover Dam, brought electricity to the rural South and engineered the interstate highway system lost its appetite for big public works projects? At a time when other countries are pouring money into steel and concrete, is the U.S. unwilling to think long-term?

"My sense is things have changed," said Andrew Goetz, a University of Denver professor and an expert on transportation policy. "People now tend to see any project as a waste of money, and that's just wrong."

"I call it the Bridge to Nowhere syndrome," he added. "High-profile projects get publicized and they become a symbol for any infrastructure project that's out there, and even the ones that are justified get tarnished by the same charge."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_will_to_build

i was just talking about this issue the other day....does anyone know if the costs of roads, bridges, dams cost what they did then as they do now...given inflation

its an interesting issue and one i think is important to this country, afterall....are we not the roman roads (interstate) of the modern age and are we losing our edge? like watermark and i were talking about the other day with highspeed rail....

B.O.O.T or B.O.T. or B.O.O.

If you don't know what they mean, find out. Other countries manage their infrastructure with these mnemonics, can't the US?
 
omigorsh, for that money they ought to be able to bring trains to every house......

hello....thats why i am asking for a cost analysis of projects during the 30s-60s that allowed our country to become a "wonder" (highways) of the world....

why does it cost so much now? are we inhibiting growth due to wages? or is it tech costs more? why does it costs so much more to build now than when this country built, essentially, the roman roads approx 60 years ago?
 
Building new bridges, dams and the like is all well and good. But the existing infrastructure is in rough shape. Lets repairs existing bridges, upgrade the power grid, and maintain some existing stuff before we blow billions on new shiney shit.
 
B.O.O.T or B.O.T. or B.O.O.

If you don't know what they mean, find out. Other countries manage their infrastructure with these mnemonics, can't the US?

Or we could just follow your example and ditch your country and move to China?

Then we could bitch and moan from afar and tell people what to do, while conveniently doing jack $hit about the issues in our home country!

YEAH!!! :good4u:
 
Or we could just follow your example and ditch your country and move to China?

Then we could bitch and moan from afar and tell people what to do, while conveniently doing jack $hit about the issues in our home country!

YEAH!!! :good4u:

So full of childish hatred are you, you stupid woman, that you attack before allowing your extremely small brain to fully comprehend.
B.O.O.T stands for Build, Own, Operate, Transfer whereby a company, it could be Haliburton, or Bouygues, or a jv. of Japanese and American interests take the contract at their own costs. On completion they own and operate the item, be it a bridge, tunnel, dock or whatever, for a negotiated period of say 10, 20 years or more. They charge a toll for the public's use and are permitted to make an agreed profit. At the end of the agreed term the 'item' is handed over to the government. So you get your bridge or tunnel and all users pay their one or two dollars to use it. (It's capitalism)
It's not rocket science but of course it does need a modicum of intelligence to understand and you have just proved to everyone that you do not possess the wit.
Back to the pebbles if there are any you have not kicked out of the playground yet.
 
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