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Contractors of two of the largest infrastructure projects in New York city will continue to dig, but they could look at the shoulders to Washington.
A couple of Darlings from the Grand Apple’s infrastructure, the Passage program and the next phase of the second avenue metro, suddenly hang on the political fire. Trump administration froze almost $ 18 billion in federal funding The two projects last week, according to a statement from the United States Department of Transport.
The dowry said it has launched an administrative review of how the Metropolitan Transport Authority and the Gateway Development Commission apply race and sex -based recruitment requirements within the framework of the Federal Disadvantaged Business Program. Until this review is over, project refunds, including a Dollars of $ 300 million For the subway of the second avenue, it will remain on hold.
In the statement, the Department said it aims to ensure that the taxpayers’ dollars do not subsidize infrastructure contracts based on discriminatory principles. Also fought at the Stop of the federal government It has forced Furloughs for the civil rights staff who carry out the review, which will delay the completion of the process.
The projects are in motion, for the moment
Despite the crisis in Washington, the leaders of the field project say that the pause has not yet interrupted field operations. Thomas Takegast, CEO of the Gateway Development Commission, confirmed the freezing of funding But he emphasized the continuity of the project, according to a statement of October 1.
The Tutor Perini, the contractor of Los Angeles, will not change his current daily operations or planning, according to Jorge Casado, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations.
“We do not provide for a significant impact on our work on the Manhattan tunnel project, a component of the Gateway Tunnel project,” Casado told Construction Dive. “Since we do not provide for a significant impact, we are not currently making special adjustments to the schedules or our workforce.”
Casado added that the construction company has an “excellent work relationship” with the Gateway Development Commission and continues to focus on fulfillment and progress. In other words, the current work has not been slowed, he said.
Fizzles of predictability
But few things disconnect the construction industry rather than uncertainty. The perspective of federal financing breaks, even temporary, sends a bad message to an industry based on long -term planning, said Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress, a construction industry defense group.
“This is an industry that likes stability,” Scissura told Construction Dive. “When [contractors] Feel that, at one point, the Government could do something like this, it is where you come in because you have to remember, this industry has to plan the order of materials, hire staff employees, get people train to do certain jobs. Therefore, it takes time and stability becomes critical. “”
So far, Scissura has said that there has been no direct success in the work or the schedules of the project. He said work on both Gateway project and the Second Avenue Subway will advance in the short term.
“Right now, there is really no effect,” Scissura told Construction Dive. “The job goes on, there are people today at work.”
But if the freezing endures, the effects could expand.
“The real question is the way,” he said. “In a few weeks, if things have not moved and the federal government has not published the pause, maybe we will have questions.”
Other projects
Scissura added that other high -profile infrastructure projects in New York City are still full.
“The work of the airport in Kennedy continues. The planning of the Port Authority Bus Terminal continues. Amtrak will broadcast an RFP to renew the Penn station in a month or less,” Scaissura said to Construction Dive. “Really, the only two megaprojects that the government is looking at today are these two: Gateway and Second Avenue.”
However, nationally, the general associated contractors of America warned that the movement emphasizes what the great precarious federal projects may be.
“This is another memory of the many challenges that must overcome contractors and transport officials when trying to try important and vital infrastructure projects,” said Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Labor. “It is a memory of the need to reduce the many layers of regulatory and permit reviews, and the amount of time and resources needed, to build a practically everyone project is absolutely necessary for the local, regional and national economy.”
Turmail said that, while work is still ongoing, the financial risk for contractors advancing the time that the process of reviewing and reviewing the government lasts.
“Most federal construction projects are already funded and work should continue,” Turmail told Construction Dive. “But, as long as long longer, the longest contractors will have to wait for the improvement orders to be improved, to end the inspections and the upcoming phases of the approved work.”
