As congressional researchers studied eight of the nation's most expensive transportation construction projects, they found six are way over budget or behind schedule.
The two exceptions are in Utah: the reconstruction of I-15 in Salt Lake County, and the new TRAX light-rail system there.That's according to the General Accounting Office, a research arm of Congress, in a study requested by House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf, R-Va.
Of course, having a clean report from the GAO helps clear some obstacles from the legislative path as Utah officials seek continued federal funding for those projects.
And Gov. Mike Leavitt said he's received other promising signs this week too as he's attended annual meetings of the National Governors' Association in Washington.
"The good news is almost everyone is talking about increasing the amount of money for transportation," he said. The bad news is many in Congress are uncertain whether a transportation authorization bill will pass before the current law expires in May.
"If we get it by May, there will be no disruptions (in Utah projects). If not, we will have to come up with some interim solutions" such as more state funds to tide over the projects, or delaying some portions of them, Leavitt said.
Meanwhile, the GAO gave generally glowing reports about the progress of the two Utah projects, while raising red flags about similarly large and complex projects elsewhere.
It noted that the Utah light-rail project is expected to begin operations "by March 2000 - 10 months ahead of schedule and well before the Winter Olympics open in Salt Lake City in 2002."
Even better, the GAO said officials "expect the project to be completed within its $312 million budget."
It noted that several contracts were awarded for lower-than-expected amounts, which allowed a number of enhancements.
"For example, when additional funds became available, local officials decided to install double tracks along segments where single tracks had been planned," the GAO wrote.
The GAO also said a relatively new approach to the $1.6 billion I-15 project - hiring the same company to both design and build most of it for a set cost - appears to be holding its price in check and allow quick work.
While the GAO said I-15 reconstruction appears on target for its budget and expected completion date of July 2001, it warns some cost increases are possible.
It noted the state agreed to cover costs of cleaning any hazardous wastes that may be discovered in construction. It also noted that "design-build" projects often allow change orders of between 2.5 percent and 8.5 percent, which could increase costs from $35 million to $110 million.
The GAO also noted that state officials reported they would finish the project - even if hoped-for federal funding is delayed or denied - "either by raising additional state funds or by reducing or canceling some of the other 39 projects slated to be financed from the (state) Centennial Highway Fund."
Meanwhile, other projects didn't receive such favorable reports.
The GAO reported serious funding shortfalls (and many delays) in an extension of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in San Francisco; an extension of the Red Line train in Los Angeles; the Pittsburgh Airport Busway; an extension of a St. Louis light-rail system; the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston; and the Alameda Corridor freight rail project in California.
An example of problems is that the $10.8 billion Boston project is facing funding shortfalls of more than $1 billion.
Also, funding shortfalls forced Los Angeles officials to suspend construction on its $6.1 billion Red Line extension for at least six months. And the GAO said it may not have money to complete it at all, and it has no firm plans about when work may resume.