A St. Louis County court jury ruled Nov. 30 against the local transit agency trying to collect an estimated $81 million in damages for cost overruns and delays from the team designing and managing construction of the region's $550-million light rail extension.

The jury rejected arguments from the owner, Metro, formerly known as the Bistate Development Agency, that the team, the Cross-County Collaborative, breached its contract, was negligent and committed fraud. CCC is a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Jacobs Civil Inc.; STV Inc. and Kwame Building Group. Metro contended that the team was responsible for the eight-mile project opening 15 months late in August 2006 and more than $126 million over budget.

The joint venture was also awarded $2.56 million in a counterclaim for work it performed, but had originally sought nearly $6 million.

Related Links: St. Louis Cost Overrun Case Takes an Ugly Turn, January 30, 2006

"We are very pleased with the verdict and appreciate the time, commitment, and thoughtfulness displayed by the jury in this case," says Richard Hardcastle, CCC attorney. "For more than three years we have maintained that Metro wrongfully terminated the CCC and that its claims were baseless."

Metro officials were disappointed at the verdict. Metro Attorney Gordon Ankney says, "It was on behalf of the taxpayers that Metro presented the agency's case in trial. Today we stand by the decision to put this matter before a St. Louis County jury, and we are proud of our efforts against the companies we believe did harm to the Cross County MetroLink project and therefore did harm to the community."

Ankney adds that "even though we are disappointed with today's verdict, Metro has demonstrated that the agency takes seriously its responsibility to the public to hold themselves and contractors accountable for abiding by contracts and delivering as promised."