As the Port of Long Beach, Calif., moves forward with its 10-year, $4-billion modernization program, two of its largest components are seeing sharp cost increases. The $1-billion Gerald Desmond Bridge project faces a 15% budget increase, while the price tag on the $1.2-billion Middle Harbor project has now risen by $29.5 million.
Much of these increases occurred because the port was built on an oil field, with dozens of abandoned wells and other obstructions left behind when drilling ceased decades ago. As a result, prep work is six months behind schedule, says port spokesperson John Pope. However, crews will make up the time and the bridge will open on time in mid-2016, he adds.