Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-02-21
HIGHWAY
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be paid for unfinished work has
not been determined.
Highway officials said the
project was shelved because of
uncertainty about further
highway developments in the
vicinity.
Mr.. Aitken said yesterday he
considers the city's large con-
sulting outlay justified.
II would say the District has
gotten a terrific return for its
investment" he declared.
He also said. however, there
has been a difference of views
within the department on the
subject. He said Gerard Saw
yer. chief of the departments
design division, has advocated
expansion of the departments
own staff to handle more of
the work.
The highway director said
he disagrees with this view,
although he said he expects an
eventual buildup" in the de-
partment's design and plan
ming staff. Mr.. Sawyer de-
clined to comment yesterday.
Mr.. Aitken said consultants
perform essential services for
which the department now
lacks sufficient staff. He also
strongly backed use of outside
engineers as a matter of prin-
ciple. however.
Served as ConSultant
Consultants are widely used
throughout the country. he
pointed out, and their use is
Endorsed by the Federal Bu-
reau of Public Roads in con-
.nection with Federally-aided
highway projects.
Before joining the District
Government about two years
ago, Mr.. Aitken briefly had a
Consulting firm of his own and
served as project engineer on
a District consulting contract
with another firm. Earlier he
was with the Federal bureau
for a number of years.
Mr.. Sawyer's division, which
has been expanding recently,
has designed a number of road
and bridge projects and is ham
ding the design of one major
expreSsway. the K street ex-
tension of the Whitehurst free
way.
The Highway Departments
planning and traffic divisions
also have stats of civil engi-
neers. The planning division
often uses consultantS, but the
principal financial outlay falls
under Mr.. Sawyer.
U. S. Pays 80 Per Cent
The bulk Of the city's con-
sulting expenditure has oc-
Cured since the mid = 1856
launching of the Federal In
terstate Highway program. This
program. which puts 80 pei
cent of the cost of designated
projects on the Federal Gov
eminent. is the backbone OF
the District highway program
In other District projects the
Federal Government shoulder:
only half the cost. The Fedora,
Government shares consulting
as we'll as construction costs.
The $7,77l, 1894 total has moi
yet been paid. A number of TIT
contracts have not been com.
pleted. Completion often doe:
not come until virtual finish oil
construction. which in some
cases is several years away
Payments in such cases are
made in instalments.
Consulting agreements are
negotiated rather than SUBJ
jected to competitive bidding
Mr.. Aitken supported this prac-
tice, declaring it is accepted ma
tionally in the civil engineering
field.
Fees generally are also set
according to national standards
as recommended by the Ameri-
can Society of Civil Engineers
officials said. Terms vary from
contract to contract, although
the District recently adopted a
new standard form for covering
certain legal provisions.
The fee on design contracts
usually is figured as a percent
age of the estimated construc-
ton cost, officials said. Or
planning projects of a more
general kind. the fee is entirely
determined by circumstances
they noted.
Officials said they were un'
able to give any estimate or
the average or overall ratio
between District consulting anc
construction costs.
The Maryland State Highwa,
Commission and Bureau o
Public Roads last month werI
criticized by Comptroller Gen
eral Joseph Campbell for wha
Government auditors termed
excessive consulting expendi
lures. From 1853 to last Apri
the State contracted for owe
$22 million in outside consult
ing work, officials said
Maryland officials disputed
the criticism.
IS Million for Inner Loop
More than IS million in con
tracts so far has been awarded
for planning and design Of tn
Inner Loop, The loop is
projected six and eight Ian
expressway network which
eventually is supposed to en-
circle downtown Washington
So far only a southern segmen
Is under construction.