Agency fires managers of light-rail project

ST. LOUIS -- Metro, the St. Louis area's public transportation agency, has fired the contractors in charge of a $550 million light-rail extension because of delays and mismanagement.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday in a copyright story that it had obtained documents related to the firings. The Metro agency will have to manage the large project itself.

The 8-mile extension of the light rail system to the St. Louis suburbs of Clayton and Shrewsbury had originally been expected to open around May 2005, but that was later pushed back to the summer or fall of 2006. It could be delayed further.

Metro officials contacted the four companies in the Cross County Collaborative on Tuesday to let them know of the firing. A lawyer for the group, Richard Hardcastle, said in an e-mail to the Post-Dispatch that the collaborative had no comment.

It's not clear if the firing will result in more delays.

"We can't afford any more delays if we have any chance of completing this thing in 2006," said Metro's president and chief executive, Larry Salci.

Metro oversees the buses and MetroLink light-rail system in the St. Louis region.

The agency has been struggling financially, reducing its ability to absorb cost overruns. Metro hired the collaborative for about $41 million in 2000, but has paid the group about $47 million because of unexpected cost increases. The new 8-mile extension is being funded with local taxpayer dollars.

Cross Country Collaborative consists of four engineering companies responsible for the design and construction of the extension: Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas Inc.; STV Inc.; Jacobs Civil Inc.; and Kwame Building Group Inc.

Metro previously sent the collaborative two letters of default, which began the process of removing the companies from the project.

On Oct. 24, the group was sent a letter regarding its design work, followed by a June 11 letter about its construction management duties. The companies had 30 days from the date of the last letter to resolve the concerns.

Contractors previously have said Metro didn't provide them with all the information necessary to do their work.

They had faulted Metro for millions of dollars in additional costs, including $14 million for proposals for extra design services, and payback for additional costs to contractors because utilities weren't moved on time.

Utility facilities had not been relocated from areas where construction was scheduled to begin, delaying excavation work for MetroLink tunnels.

Metro also had to sue the city of St. Louis for access to its streets after one neighborhood complained about dump trucks working on the extension.

Administrators previously said they will have to seek a local sales tax increase in 2006 to avoid massive budget shortfalls. The Metro system has already been forced to raise fares and cut bus service in recent years to pay its bills.