By Tim Sheehan in The Fresno Bee

February 16, 2016

The prospect of higher-than-expected costs for high-speed rail construction in Fresno and Madera counties is prompting the California High-Speed Rail Authority to consider a big change in its allowance for potential cost overruns.

“At this time, we are forecasting a need to increase the contingency by about $150 million” for Construction Package 1, the first 29-mile segment from Fresno to Madera, agency risk manager Jon Tapping told the authority’s board members at their meeting Tuesday in Sacramento. That’s on top of the original $160 million contingency allowance that was established for the $1 billion contract awarded in 2013 to Tutor Perini/Zachry/Parsons, the prime contractor for the work.