No owner of a complex construction project sees the job completed without some headaches, and the U.S. Congress is no exception. The 535-member owner of the estimated $550-million U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, under way in Washington, D.C., is pressing contractors on cost growth and schedule slippage. While construction officials acknowledge the site problems, they claim the project can meet a key completion deadline in September 2006.

Set in stone. Congress worries about missed project deadlines but work pushes on.

In July 14 testimony to a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that a series of problems, from inadequate stone delivery to subcontractor legal battles, could delay the 588,000-sq-ft underground facility by six months or be costly to expedite. The report by GAO, Congress’ investigative arm, is the latest in monthly project updates to its inquisitive owner.

"Work on some selected milestones scheduled for completion by today’s hearing is incomplete; some work has been postponed and some new issues have arisen that could affect the project’s progress," according to testimony presented by Terrell Dorn, GAO assistant director of physical infrastructure issues. He noted that Manhattan Construction Co., project contractor for the center’s work on interiors and utilities, completed only 3 of 17 milestones on time. However, site officials said Manhattan has now finished at least 12 of those milestones.

One thorny problem is production and delivery delays for sandstone, a key building material. Architect of the Capitol Alan Hantman told the subcommittee that stone for the project "in the quantities specified by the contract continues below expected levels." Officials attribute the delay also to an ongoing dispute in a Pennsylvania federal district court between two key Manhattan subcontractors responsible for stone supply and fabrication.

"We have taken some important steps that we hope will facilitate and expedite the fabrication and delivery of stone," said Hantman. That could include pressing the court to require the firms to produce the stone, according to published reports. Project officials say they may resequence work, but GAO is concerned that such fixes could increase project costs later if "mitigation involves expediting installation to recover lost time." GAO contends that the project is likely not to be "substantially completed" until the first quarter of 2007.

Site officials disagree. "The schedule is tight but still doable," says Tom Fontana, project spokesman. "We recognize GAO’s concerns but our contractors will resolve the issues and make up lost time." He says shortage of masons is a bigger problem than stone deliveries, adding that worker levels will "double and triple" in coming weeks.

(Photo courtesy of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol)