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« Providence celebrates Portugal tomorrow | Today | Sen. Reed endorses Obama, while praising Clinton » June 6, 2008Oversight problems revealed in DOT concrete reviewPROVIDENCE -- An internal review of the Department of Transportation made public today depicts managers who didn't manage, plans that weren't followed or even distributed to the people who were supposed to follow them and inspections that were done poorly or not at all on concrete for its flagship project, the relocation of Route 195. The review, commissioned by former Transportation Director Jerome F. Williams and made public today, by his replacement, Michael P. Lewis, is the department's attempt to get to the bottom of the concrete inspection failures that cost the state $3.1 million in federal highway aid in February. In releasing the review, Lewis said that the vast majority of the concrete in the project was tested, that all of it proved to be strong enough to do the job and that the highway, partially open since November, is safe. He said that he is already making organizational changes at the DOT and training employees in response to the findings. Two engineers, one who was in charge of materials testing, Mark Felag, and the other supervising the Route 195 project, James Caroselli, had already been transferred within the department. Lewis said he has no immediate plans to replace anybody else. The review describes management failures throughout the DOT's construction hierarchy that contributed to its failure to test the concrete going into in dozens of structures -- piers, foundations and other structural elements -- that are part of its flagship project. That failure to test and otherwise assure quality concrete, which violated industry standards and the DOT's own regulations, lead to a months-long investigation by the Federal Highway Administration and its decision in February to declare the untested concrete ineligible for the normal 80 percent federal reimbursement. That dumps $3.1 million in costs that would have been paid by the federal government onto the state. Posted by Jack Perry CommentsJake Barrington, RI | June 6, 2008 11:56 AM link Follow the money............................. the unknown comic | June 6, 2008 12:45 PM link If the knuckleheads in this state give Mike Lewis a chance he will fix the DOT. He cleaned up the big dig and it may have issues but it sure has made traveling in Boston a hell of a lot better. All of the hullabaloo about a ramp closing this week is something that was succesfully done in Boston by Mike and his team. The Gov made a good choice. Lets wait and see maybe this guy can fix things Bill | June 6, 2008 1:01 PM link Those deemed responsible and found to not being doing their jobs were merely transferred within the Transportation Department? Only in RI! Was their pay even cut? The concrete may be safe now, but how much sooner is it going to have to be replaced at taxpayer expense (not to mention lane closings and detours)? And, no doubt the same construction company guilty of using substandard concrete will probably be hired to replace it prematurely, enriching themselves even further at the expense of RI taxpayers. Maybe Plexus can be hired to oversee the whole affair? Where's the accountability in any of this? Timmy | June 6, 2008 1:07 PM link Lets recap. DOT didn't test the concrete and cost the taxpayers 3.1 million. They also didn't apply the correct amount of zinc paint to the IWAY costing the taxpayers additional monies. Now we here that Shire Corp that handles other major DOT jobs had the passwords to the DOT computer system and allegedly used that information to incur cost overruns to their favor. Amazingly the computer system they 'hacked' into was set up by Plexus Corp that was part of a previous story as the owner(s) were related to the previous DOT director/big wig. Kevin | June 6, 2008 2:08 PM link The concrete is safe? I bet that is what they said about the tiles at the Big Dig before they fell and killed a woman. Hopefully this is not a repeat of that. We as a state should not have to worry about this every time we cross the I-Way. Pam | June 6, 2008 2:35 PM link Follow the money, follow the money. After all this is Rhode Island. John M | June 6, 2008 5:04 PM link does any of this really surprise anyone?? it certainly doesn't surprise me. did anyone notice that the employees involved were "transferred" with the DOT and not fired? this is certainly inconsistent with the private sector. the entire department needs a purge. if this isn't bad enough, look at what 's going on with the barrington bridge and the shire corporation, where the DOTs records were hacked to deliberately delay the construction. just business as usual in rhode island - rip off the taxpayer. ee - cranston | June 7, 2008 4:57 AM link No wonder the residents leaving R.I. for other States is so high. Get out while you can, others have. You can do it, I did... Steve | June 7, 2008 7:20 AM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
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Transferred? Why not fired. In any normal job or any normal state people who fail at their jobs are terminated, not allowed to continue working towards their tax-payer funded pension elsewhere.