The Homa Files

Three years behind schedule and almost $360 million above budget, the Capitol Visitor Center  is to open to the public on Dec. 2.

The final cost of the project is put at $621 million, more than double the $265 million estimated cost had the center been completed on schedule in December, 2005.

Security was a key factor in the cost overruns. Congress decided to add two tunnels, one for truck deliveries and one linking the Capitol with the Library of Congress, that could also serve as emergency evacuation routes.

Then there were the usual overruns associated with a project where 9,000 workers set more than 400,000 pieces of stone, some weighing as much as 500 pounds. The excavation phase required the removal of 65,000 truckloads of dirt.Congress also approved the addition of House and Senate office space.

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Excerpted from MSNBC, “Capitol Visitor Center opens after delay, cost overrun”, Nov. 10, 2008

Full article:
 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27648214/ 

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This entry was posted on December 9, 2008 at 7:45 am and is filed under Corporate Governence, Gov't Spending, Government & Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.