I-90 connector

The Outraged Liberal reads today's Globe article on Bechtel's apparent non-concern about I-90 connector bolts and concludes: Looks like Mitt Romney got the wrong scalp:

... Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff, the well-connected management company designed to oversee the project opted to save money rather than push for safety. Under the oversight of Kerasiotes. And Cellucci.

What say you Mitt? Ready to keep the heat on and find the culprits? Or are you too busy kissing Trent Lott's backside while busting Michael Dukakis?

Dan Kennedy notes that the article points out how unique the concrete-slab construction was and that the story:

[R]aises the distinct possibility that the fatal accident of July 10 wasn't just the result of incompetent workmanship but also of a deeply flawed design.

Seems Bechtel is worried that the tests on the I-90 connector bolts might cause "not readily apparent" problems with the bolts. Which apparently are different from the not readily apparent problems that caused Milena Del Valle's death, Jay Fitzgerald writes.

Beth on Grand Mental Station: How do these guys sleep at night?

... Give me a goddamned break.

Note also that this is the first we've heard from Bechtel since the death in the Tunnel. Apparently it's taken them that long to figure out how to pass the buck.

Tim at Boston Crazy Driving shows how wonderful the Internets are: You can read the 1998 Inspector General's report on bad bolts in the I-90 connector in the comfort of your own home.

Chris at Left Center Left wishes some enterprising blogger would compile a Big Dig for Dummies site that would answer questions such as:

... Did Christy Mihos really get pushed out because he was a whistleblower? At the time, I thought Swift wanted to fire him because he wanted to lower the Turnpike tolls, while the powers that be wanted to raise them to help with Big Dig costs. ...

Andy at Mass. Revolution Now notes the Globe story in which Tom Reilly is caught in yet another one of those contradictions that do little to bolster one's faith in his candidacy, involving last year's settlement talks with Bechtel /Parsons:

... The one lesson Tom Reilly needs to learn from this campaign is that he is best when he IGNORES COMPLETELY his political intuition, he has none. This is also not the first time the Attorney General's puffing has been deflated. Right now Reilly has an opportunity to turn the Big Dig into political gain without being political! If Reilly just does his job, something he has usually proven to be pretty good at, the politics will take care of itself. ...

Leave it to Soxaholix, of course, to remind us what's truly at stake here:

... Memo to the Big Dig engineers: You were working on the Ted Williams Tunnel, you know, Teddy Baseball, the Splendid Splintah, hello, war hero and not the Charles Stuart Tunnel or the Albert Desalvo Tunnel. Have some civic pride fercrissakes.

Yeah, right now Larry Bird is on the phone with his lawyah, "Hey, put in my will that when I'm dead Boston can't name anything aftah me, OK?" ...

Aaron Margolis at Hub Politics salutes Mitt Romney for his inspired leadership during the crisis.

Some leadership, Sco snorts, wondering where His Mittness was when everything else in the tunnels was falling apart.

Kimberly Atkins has the details of Romney's formal effort to remove Matt Amorello from office - which also includes a suit by three Romney appointees to the turnpike board against Amorello.

Spatch: Romney to Amorello: It's on, bitch:

... Too bad A. Romney's looking right into the eyes of 2008 when he bares his teeth, and B. someone had to die for the shakeup (shakedown?) to happen.

But don't worry about Matt. The turnpike authority will be paying his legal bills - starting with $92,000 for one legal brief.

What would the Big Dig debacle be without a Big Dig Debacle blog?

Universal Hub's own Big Dig page.

John Daley comes up with a much cheaper system to replace the $200-million video system that allegedly didn't record the Del Valle tragedy.

This one, Exit 24 from I-90 west to 93, had been a route around the closed deadly tunnel. Even more delays for commuters - and potential headaches for residents in South Boston, where surface roads will be used as a detour:

This traffic diversion is expected to cause significant delays and traffic concerns in the South Boston community.

Additional Boston Police officers have been assigned to the effected area. However, it is strongly encouraged that motorists plan accordingly and if possible stagger work times, utilize alternate routes of travel and/or take public transportation. ...

More from AP.

John Daley: You didn't think it was going to get better, did you?

There's a whole 'nother world westa Worcester. And many folks out there see things a bit differently than we do. For example, even our local conservative blogs have yet to note, as have several conservative blogs in the heartland, that Ronald Reagan vetoed the initial appropriation for the Big Dig. Read more

Back in January, 2003, Steve Garfield did a video report on Ravi Jain becoming the first civilian to drive through the connector tunnel. Like Melina Del Valle, Jain is also from Jamaica Plain.