Page 39: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Jul/Aug 2018)

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INFRASTRUCTURE

CREDIT: USACE a cost of $775 million, with construction estimated to take deliver much certainty. It was repeatedly re-examined, even as seven years. An appropriation for construction was ? rst made late as 2012 – eight years after initial project funding.

in 1990 but the Corps did not award money for a construction Contracts were also a challenge. In 2002, the Corps request- project until 2004 – 14 years later. The 1990s were given over ed proposals for construction as a ? rm ? xed-price, but received to technical analytical work regarding a construction method no offers, because according to subsequent Corps’ analysis, the – evaluating the more traditional “in-the-dry” method, using construction method was innovative, the river conditions were cofferdams which block the ? ow of water around a site, versus too risky, and a potential contractor could not get bonding. a newer, but less familiar “in-the-wet” method, more dif? cult In 2003, the Corps offered a cost-reimbursement contract, but promising more ? exibility and a lower ? nal cost. ‘In-the- receiving two offers. In 2004 – sixteen years after authoriza- wet’ was chosen in 1997, and a new construction estimate was tion – a contract was awarded to Washington Group/Alberici arrived at: six years. But, even the in-the-wet decision didn’t (WGA) Joint Venture. The winning proposal was $564 mil- www.maritimelogisticsprofessional.com 39

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