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State engineers question high-speed rail oversight
First 30 miles of rail to receive scrutiny
Posted: 01/19/2013
Last Updated:
151 days ago
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -
A union that represents state engineers is questioning whether the construction work on the first leg of California's $68 billion high-speed rail line will undergo enough scrutiny.
Plans for the first 30-mile segment of the rail line in the Central Valley call for the independent contractor that will design and build it to also hire the inspectors who test it. The inspectors will report to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
The executive director of Professional Engineers in California Government, Bruce Blanning, says high-speed rail needs independent inspectors there when the concrete is poured. His union represents 13,000 state engineers.
High-speed rail CEO Jeff Morales says the inspections are the norm for major construction projects and said the idea that the agency would compromise safety is "insulting and flat-out wrong."
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