I have obtained a copy of Dragados’ bid to build the Tysons portion of the tunnel. My sources were entirely correct in their description of the bid: it is a fixed-bid and is $200 million less and 12 months faster than the elevated rail by Bechtel. Part of the bid text: “[W]e recently implemented a tunnel of this type in Spain that is similar in size and ground geology to the one proposed for Tysons… Our company Dragados has extensive tunnel boring experience around the world. We are expanding our business and operations here in the U.S. after recently winning a major, fixed-price transit tunnel contract in New York City… we plan to team with one or more local Washington D.C. area contractors to implement the work.”
Kaine cannot ignore this! He can’t just throw away $200 million in taxpayer dollars! That doesn’t even count the $209 million saved in Metro operating and maintenance costs (according to a cost analysis I obtained, which was done by a coalition of independent engineering firms) or the millions saved in the absence of severe business and traffic disruption.
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