This post originally appeared on Orphan Road.
Nice article by Seattle NYT correspondent William Yardley on the increase in construction costs and how it’s affecting public projects around the country:
Costs have jumped for projects as varied as levee construction in New Orleans, Everglades restoration in Florida and huge sewer system upgrades in Atlanta. The reconstruction of the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, a $234 million project, has been fast-tracked for completion by December, and state officials say it is too soon to know whether it will come in on budget.
The impact has been felt in different regions at different times, and not every project has been high-profile. In Oregon, high costs have forced the State Department of Transportation to slow the rate at which it upgrades roads and bridges. In Seattle, school building projects were put on a fast track this fall because of fears of cost overruns.
The article focuses on the increase in costs of bulding materials and labor, due to a global construction boom. I have to wonder how much the falling dollar also plays into the equation.