Making Up For Purple Line Delays Will Cost Nearly $60 Million, Contractor Says

The contractor building Maryland’s Purple Line says it will cost nearly $60 million to accelerate work on the delayed light-rail project, bringing potential cost overruns to almost $275 million.

The rail line’s opening date also has slipped by another month, to March 31, 2023, which would put it more than a year behind schedule, the contractor said.

The Washington Post reported this month that the contractor, a consortium of companies called Purple Line Transit Partners, projected a February 2023 opening and sought $215 million in additional costs. However, that figure, from November, included costs only for delays for which the contractor said the Maryland Transit Administration is responsible, such as those stemming from a federal lawsuit against the project.

The consortium’s December report added $59.6 million in “acceleration costs” that it says are required to offset delays, particularly those caused by the state’s lagging behind in acquiring rights of way. Acceleration costs typically cover expenses such as hiring more workers, paying overtime and extending leases on expensive equipment.

Click here to read the rest of the article written by Katherine Shaver over at the Washington Post

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