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OT: I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis

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[quote user="Convicted One"][quote user="Bucyrus"].  But as a taxpayer, it would be nice to know the workings of MNDOT's so-called technical score that justified their awarding the contract to the contractor that bid $57 million higher than the next highest bidder. [/quote] I share COMPLETELY your sentiment there.  So the following should not be taken as an argument against your position, just stating facts.At one time I was heavily involved in contract work with the General Services Administration. Where EVERYTHING is supposed to be bid competitively. Anyone who is qualified to bid the various projects (supposedly) being welcome to do so. Often the contracting officers know before the original solicitation for offers  is even made public, exactly who it is they intend to have do the work. The bidding process is (often) a mere formality to maintain a charade of protecting the public interest.In such instances there are unlimited opportunities to make the prefered contractor somehow appear to be 'uniquely qualified' in order to steer the work towrds the intended awardee'. It feels great when you know you are the contractor that they prefer to use anyway, and EXTREMELY frustrating in the instances where you figure out that they have a prefered source OTHER than you. Making you feel like you are beating your head against a wall even writing the bid.Sometimes the rationale in determining a 'prefered' awardee is semi legitimate, maybe a contractor has an extensive track record of completeing the type project at hand in an expedient and trouble free (to the contracting officer/government) manner.And sometimes the motives are LESS than honorable.  Hard telling which is which in the example at hand.Funny that the government does not feel the need to be more forthright in explaning the conditions you mention. Usually when the government is at a loss for words, that runs up a red flag, fwiw[/quote]That sure sounds like what this I35W bid looks like.  There was a little hubub in the news right as the story revealed that the highest bidder won, but it quickly faded.  I can understand the state not stepping forth to expose the process behind the technical scoring.  It was challenged by the other two bidders, but apparently that has gone nowhere.  They claimed that they did not know that the bridge project included public outreach.  What is most disconcerting is the complete lack of curiousity on the part of the local press and TV news.
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