Bechtel & Parsons Brinckerhoff Reach Settlement on Big Dig

Bechtel Infrastructure Corp. and Parsons Brinckerhoff announced on Jan. 23 that they had reached an agreement that settles claims by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts regarding their work as management consultant for the Boston Central Artery/Tunnel project, also known as the Big Dig.

John MacDonald, chairman of the Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff (B/PB) joint venture, issued a written statement that said in part:

“We have always said that we take responsibility for our work. We understand and acknowledge with this resolution that our performance did not meet our commitment to the public or our own expectations. Above all, we deeply regret the tragic death of Milena Del Valle in the I-90 tunnel.

“Our companies have a long history of delivering safe, high-quality engineering and construction services. Our willingness to scrutinize our own performance and learn from experience has been a major factor in our success. Going forward, we will implement a number of specific measures to apply lessons learned to our future work, such as improving quality management systems, more extensive and mandatory training for field engineers, and additional standardized specifications for design and construction.

“The Boston Central Artery/Tunnel project remains one of this country’s most remarkable infrastructure achievements. It will serve the people of Massachusetts well into the next century.”