HCTRA Wants To Terminate Westpark Tollway Contract

[ssullivan]

HCTRA Wants To Terminate Westpark Contractor's Contract

Tue Oct 26, 9:39 AM ET Local - KPRC Click2Houston.com

Members of the Harris County Toll Road Authority say they are tired of waiting for the Westpark Tollway project to be finished.

Members of the Toll Road Authority plan to attend the Harris County Commissioner's Court meeting Tuesday to request permission to end the contract with Jones Construction, LP.

Officials said the company took their equipment and walked off the job over a contract dispute earlier this month.

Toll road representatives said the company was six months behind their scheduled completion date on the section of road between Rogerdale and Ranchester.

Officials said they would also ask the court to seek other methods to complete the contract.

[Rehan]

I don't care whether they get someone else or work out there differences, as long as it gets done. That area is a mess. Hopefully it doesn't get delayed too long.

[MaxConcrete]

I think this is the first time HCTRA has ever had a problem with a major contract.

I think this is related to the flooding that occurred last year and set back the schedule. I suspect that the contractor did not feel they received adequate provisions to deal with the damage.

[ssullivan]

I think this is the first time HCTRA has ever had a problem with a major contract.

I think this is related to the flooding that occurred last year and set back the schedule. I suspect that the contractor did not feel they received adequate provisions to deal with the damage.

I think the flooding is part of it, but it's not the only problem. Until mid August I lived close to this interchange and work was progressing at a painfully slow pace most of the time, especially when compared to the rest of the Westpark projects. Every aspect of the project was behind schedule even before the flooding happened.

I was back in the area Monday afternoon and it's a total mess. The new Westpark Dr. bridge over the Sam Houston Tollway is only halfway completed. When the lanes of Westpark Dr. over the tollway were reduced last year to build the new bridge, the PR sent out by HCTRA and the contractor indicated that the new Westpark Dr. bridge would be finished with all lanes open before the end of 2003. Then it kept getting pushed back and now the bridge still isn't done. Rodgerdale was closed between Harwin and Westpark for over a year for construction, but at least it was recently reopened. And of course there are the four unfinished ramps to connect the two tollways, one of which is the very complex SB Sam Houston to EB Westpark ramp that has to go under the NB Sam Houston mainlanes and the NB Sam Houston to WB Westpark ramp. Work has barely started on this connector. At this rate, I wouldn't expect to see that interchange complete until very late 2005.