Home Contra Costa County Senator DeSaulnier’s Statement on Independent Bay Bridge Reports

Senator DeSaulnier’s Statement on Independent Bay Bridge Reports

by ECT

Mark DeSaulnier

Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) issued the following statement on this coming Tuesday’s informational hearing of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. The subject of the hearing is: “Bay Bridge Lessons Learned: Receipt of Final Reports”.

This hearing includes the submission of an outside investigative report titled: “The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge: Basic Reforms for the Future”. Additionally, the committee asked the Legislative Analyst’s Office to assemble a panel of independent engineering experts to review processes and procedures taken during the construction of the new Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge. Several of the members of that panel will present their findings to the committee.

“The construction of the new Eastern span of the Bay Bridge ran 10 years late and $5 billion over budget. The toll payers are justifiably frustrated, and they demand answers. As part of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee’s investigation into this project we have brought in outside investigators and experts to provide independent reports in an effort to help find answers. These independent reports speak for themselves—Caltrans needs to become more accessible and open to the public. While it was troubling to watch a project of this magnitude run into so many issues, I am hopeful that it will be the impetus to create a more transparent, accountable Caltrans. I thank the administration for making many officials and documents available during our investigation. It is imperative that the department regain the public’s trust, as we continue to invest in necessary public works projects to improve California’s infrastructure.”

Link to Bay Bridge Hearing Agenda, Outside Investigative Report, and Committee Background Report: http://stran.senate.ca.gov/informationalhearings

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