By Pat Bradley
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-997833.mp3
Crown Point, NY – The final construction costs for the new bridge over Lake Champlain are expected to be 8-to-9 percent over budget. Vermont Agency of Transportation Structures Project Manager Danny Landry was Vermont's Lake Champlain Bridge Project Manager. He says with a project the size and scope of the Champlain Bridge such cost overruns are factored in and are not unusual.
Danny Landry says there were several unanticipated factors that added to the costs of construction.
Local officials and business owners say the cost overrun is minuscule compared to the economic impact of the lack of a bridge. Vermont House Representative Diane Lanpher represents the Addison county area that includes the bridge.
Town of Moriah, NY Supervisor Tom Scozzafava says the overrun is not surprising considering the issues the contractor encountered during construction.
Lake Champlain Bridge Coalition member Lorraine Franklin owns the West Addison General Store. She says while an overrun is not trivial, she and other businesses are seeing at least a twenty percent increase in customer traffic since the new bridge opened.
The costs for the bridge are shared between the federal government, NYS and VT. The Vermont Agency of Transportation's Danny Landry has prepared a budgetary report on the 5.4 million dollar overrun for the head of his Agency.
Calls to the NYS Department of Transportation were not returned in time for this broadcast.