Around 700 million over budget, and not finished... can you see a problem with this rail overpass? It's a $5.3 billion dollar Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit 20 mile long elevated rail system

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/tom-yamachika-honolulu-rail-10-percent-surcharge-is-a-bad-tax/

on top of the pillar, there are 2 levels of concrete the wood seems to show that clearly

big gap between pieces, and a hell of a crack forming on the bottom

This rail project was supposed to benefit residents and tourists on Oahu from Kapolei to the Ala Moana Mall. Basically the South side of the island.

I'm thinking it's a fast build to get it to where it's too far past the point of not return, and then it is cheaper to fix and finish than to demolish. Contactor is not going to get good PR for this

Found on https://www.facebook.com/theframeman

http://khon2.com/2015/02/07/schedule-of-lane-closures-due-to-rail-transit-project-work-feb-7-13/

that looks haphazard to me.

The state financial study, publicly released on December 2, 2010, indicated that the project would likely experience a $1.7 billion overrun above the $5.3 billion projected cost, and that collections from the General Excise Tax would be 30% below forecasts.


On October 21, 2009, the city announced Kiewit Pacific Co. had won the $483 million contract to build the first two stages of the line

On August 14, 2014, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) unsealed bids for the first nine rail transit stations. The bids ranged from $294.5 to $320.8 million versus HART's budget of $184 million

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honolulu_Rail_Transit

This rail idea has been around for 40 years. Never was worked out. It would have prevented the daily traffic jam on the H1 for the past 30 years

The rail issue was so divisive during the election that more people voted against the steel-on-steel technology (140,818) than voted for anti-rail mayoral candidate, now-Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi. Kobayashi received 128,798 votes.

The initial Honolulu rail line is proposed to run about 20 miles from East Kapolei, near the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campus, to Ala Moana Center. Along the way, it would pass Waipahu, Leeward Community College, Pearl City, Pearlridge, Aloha Stadium, Salt Lake, Kalihi, Honolulu Community College, downtown Honolulu and Kakaako. Extensions are also planned. One extension would go from Ala Moana Center to the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus, as well as Waikiki.

More than 60 percent of Oahu's population and 80 percent of its employment is located in the designated transit corridor.

http://www.civilbeat.com/topics/honolulu-rail-project/

AnsaldoBreda and AnsaldoSTS, which together form Ansaldo Honolulu JV, were facing a deluge of bad press for shoddy construction and broken contractual promises from Buffalo, New York, to Gothenburg, Sweden.

Honolulu is basing it’s driverless rail system on the Copenhagen Metro, and Ansaldo has a production facility in Pittsburg, where the rail cars will be assembled.

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/03/frequent-fliers-nearly-500k-spent-on-rail-travel-to-date/