The official tally continues to be estimated at $5.4 billion, but an ongoing examination of the entire project--including the reason, scope and cost of every proposed contract--will "without a doubt" result in raising the projections on cost, says Carlos Bonzon, Miami-Dade County's deputy aviation director. Although Bonzon says he is unsure what the increased estimate will be, recent reports set the figure at around $6 billion.
Bonzon attributes the rising costs to errors in original estimates, unanticipated work and a labor shortage, as well as keeping all gates open during construction. On top of that, an additional $500 million in needed improvements isn't currently funded.
The timetable has also been soaring. The expansion project, which will modernize the aging airport and add capacity through a fourth runway, began in 1993 and was scheduled to be completed in 2006. Earlier this year, the aviation department pushed the finish date to 2008. Since taking the project's helm last November, Bonzon says he's been able to save time and about $25 million by cutting the bid and award cycle from an average of 380 days to 181. But he acknowledges the challenges the labor shortage may present to both cost and schedule during 2002 and 2003, when the project's construction will hit its peak. "I'm concerned that prices are going to skyrocket," he says.
