“Process blamed for Green Line project’s soaring cost”
“Officials say the T will seek an outside audit to discover why the estimates have gone up so quickly. But critics say they have the answer: a contracting process that allows the company that’s building the Green Line to name a maximum price at each stage of construction, instead of agreeing to a fixed price.
Under the “construction manager/general contractor” process currently being used, the T chooses companies to design and build the projects based largely on their expertise proven by other past projects. Once the companies are selected, the project is then broken up into phases, and the construction company is allowed to name a maximum price for construction with each phase.”