Assemblyman Jack Conners

CONNERS SEEKS CONTRACT MORATORIUM FOR FIRMS CITED IN 'BIG DIG' NEGLIGENCE CASE
Assemblyman Wants Contract Ban & Safety Assessments
For Bechtel, Parsons Brinckerhoff

(TRENTON) -- Assemblyman Jack Conners today said the state should take a hard line regarding the awarding of new contracts and the execution of current contracts involving any of the 12 construction and engineering firms accused of negligence in the problem-plagued "Big Dig" highway tunnel construction project in Boston.
Conners (D-Burlington/Camden) said the firms involved in the Big Dig project should be barred from consideration for new contract awards in New Jersey until the court cases and charges in the Massachusetts construction project are fully adjudicated. Additionally, Conners called for an exhaustive examination of existing contracts any of the 12 Big Dig firms currently have with the state Department of Transportation and other New Jersey government agencies to ensure that they are meeting all safety requirements in this state.

Massachusetts authorities announced on Monday that the state will sue 12 firms involved in the management, design, construction and oversight of the Interstate 90 tunnel, claiming their negligence led to the ceiling collapse that killed a woman in July. Two of the firms -- Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff -- are facing claims of gross negligence and have had contracts with New Jersey government agencies.

"The Big Dig project has been plagued by leaks, falling debris, countless delays and is responsible for the death of a motorist," said Conners. "It was one of the biggest public contracts in our nation's history and it was fraught with so many problems that New Jersey should heed the warning signs and exercise greater vigilance over the firms named in the Massachusetts lawsuit."

Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly on Monday said the state will seek unspecified damages for repairs, loss of tunnel use and toll revenue, and other economic factors in a lawsuit that was filed in Suffolk Superior Court. He also said evidence is being presented to a grand jury to determine whether criminal charges as severe as manslaughter will be brought forward.

"There is an ongoing criminal investigation into whether these two firms acted negligently," said Conners. "It doesn't make sense for New Jersey to engage in new business with companies that are now the subject of such serious charges. The safety of our commuters must never be jeopardized or placed in harm's way."

Massachusetts is claiming that Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff knew early on about problems with the epoxy bolt system used to secure 4,500-pound concrete ceiling panels that failed this summer and killed a woman motorist in a July ceiling collapse. Massachusetts authorities say the companies had evidence of bolts slipping or failing but still turned over the tunnel to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority in 2003 without warning of the potentially dangerous situation.

Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff have been involved or currently are involved in some notable New Jersey transportation projects, including the Atlantic City tunnel project, the River Line light rail system in Camden, Burlington and Mercer counties, the installation of E-ZPass toll collection systems on the New Jersey Turnpike, oversight of the state's enhanced auto inspection facilities, and the Alfred Driscoll Bridge restoration project.
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