The regulation puts into place a multi-step process for the handling of construction claims with specified notification and response times:

• A contractor submits a claim, in writing, by registered or certified mail.  
• An owner has no more than 45 days to review and provide the contractor with a written response stating what parts of the claim are disputed or undisputed.  The time can be extended by mutual agreement and, if the owner must get approval from a governing board that does not meet within the allowed time period, the response must be provided within three days of the meeting of the governing board.

            - Payment of undisputed amounts must be made within 60                  days after issue of the written response

            - Failure of the owner to respond within the time allowed                      shall result in the claim being rejected in its entirety

• If the contractor disagrees with the response, or of the owner fails to respond, the contractor may request in writing (registered or certified mail) an informal conference to meet and confer on the issues in dispute.  The owner has 30 days to schedule such a conference (it is unclear whether the conference must be scheduled or held within 30 days)

              - Payment of undisputed amounts must be made within 60 days after issue of the written response

• Within 10 days following the conference, the owner must provide a written statement of any items that remain in dispute.
• The contractor may notify the owner in writing (no time restriction is stated) of any outstanding disputed items. 
• Any disputed issues that remain shall be submitted to non-binding dispute resolution, the costs of which will be split equally.  Agreement on the mediator must be done within 10 days after the remaining disputed issues have been identified in writing ( no time restriction is stated for submitting the dispute to the mediation process or for action by the mediator).

The last step in the process is to take the disputed claim to mediation or some other non-binding dispute resolution process.  The agency and contractor may agree to waive this step and proceed directly to arbitration or litigation, however, the intent of the regulation is to create an avenue for timely, fair and practical resolution of construction claims.  There are a variety of options available for non-binding dispute resolution but it makes sense to anticipate which approach is best for each project and agency and to include language in the contract appropriate to the option desired so that the process moves forward smoothly within the relatively short window provided.    If mediation is the desired approach, the contract should state where and how a mediator will be selected.  If it is intended to use a Project Neutral, the process for selection of this individual and the schedule for selecting this person should be stated.  If a Dispute Resolution Board (permanent or ad hoc) is the selected process, the process for member selection, selection schedule and the responsibilities of the Board need to be described.  Each of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages as well as varying costs.

The regulation does allow public agencies to be reimbursed for higher administrative costs associated with the new process so it is important that each agency have a system on place that allows for the collection of costs and time spent associated with administration of the new process.

The new law applies to all public works projects contracted after January 1, 2017 and is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2020.

As the more construction projects begin to start, how does this expected labor shortage impact upcoming public projects in Southern California?  There are several possible impacts:

• Labor shortages drive up the cost of the work – directly through higher bids as contractors seek the best use for a scarce resource or increased cost for overtime and indirectly through lost productivity and schedule disruption.
• A lack of labor makes th e work much more difficult to complete on schedule – if there is no labor, things simply don’t get done.  While labor will travel to where the work is, it also means that they can be more selective looking for the best working conditions and highest pay                                  
  • Trying to get more done with fewer workers through 
• overtime impacts productivity and increases safety incidents – resulting in higher costs and lost time.
•  

As an owner, don’t assume that it is not your problem.  There are a few things that you can do to ensure a successful project:

• Allow enough time to get the job done – don’t shorten schedules if you don’t have to!
• Promote good planning.  Construction is most effective when work proceeds smoothly and construction crews have a constant flow of work that allows consistency in staffing.
• Help the contractor get the most from the labor force – avoid delays, answer questions and resolve problems quickly.
• Make certain that the contractor is properly planning their work – be suspicious if schedules show large spikes of labor or if non-critical work gets continuously pushed until it must all be done at once.  Compare actual and planned productivity – avoid overpaying for progress.
• Make certain that final inspections and punchlists are done while the right skilled labor is there to make corrections and finish the work – this may require “final” inspections in phases but it will be worth the effort. 

by Ken Fredrickson

It is a fact of construction life that there will be disagreements on a project.  Whether it be contract or design interpretation, site conditions, failure to deliver in a timely manner or any one of a dozen common issues that appear on a daily basis, we need to learn how to deal with them.  For a long time, we operated with two resolution approaches – settle amicably (or at least civilly) or proceed to some sort of quasi-litigious process.  While settling amicably was desirable, proceeding to more litigious solutions tended not to contribute to a good working relationship if the project was still in progress, or if resolution was delayed until the end of the project, tended to contribute to a worsening relationship as the work continued. 

Partnering evolved as an approach that encouraged amicable settlement.  It does not change contract processes but attempts to identify informal paths through which disagreements can either be resolved or passed on to a different group of individuals that may be able to reach an amicable resolution.  

While partnering has been helpful in reducing the number of unresolved disputes, some disputes will remain unresolved and this has encouraged the creation of a range of methods to resolve conflict – more complex than partnering but less expensive than litigation.  Sometimes getting independent people involved in the dispute resolution process can help. From facilitating discussions to reach a solution to bringing in experts to make recommendations, there are a range of alternatives that may help achieve agreement without damaging the working relationship.

BergCM runs their projects with the intent of achieving timely, fair, equitable and amicable settlements that allow the work to continue as intended.  We recognize that sometimes negotiations and partnering do not achieve the desired result and are able to assist clients with additional tools from Facilitation through assembling Joint Experts to get issues resolved.

Thursday 18^th June

⨀

We hope you enjoyed reading our first newsletter and found it of interest in keeping everyone at home in touch with our various adventures.

It is amazing how time has flown as we have been out here 4 weeks but it seems only like yesterday that we were boarding the plane at Dublin Airport.

If you have been watching the various posts on the kids4school or Firstdonegore Facebook pages you will have seen our progress in pictures but we will fill in some more detail now in this newsletter as to what has been accomplished.

We mentioned previously that the building work on the Academic Complex was being carried out largely manually. Despite that foundation excavations have been completed for five buildings comprising three Vocational Training and two Primary School buildings. Being keen to assist speedy progress we were able to procure a concrete mixer and vibrator which will now be used to produce the concrete for this and other projects in the future.

Following completion of the foundation ‘dig’, work proceeded in installing the reinforcing steelwork and concreting in the bases of the columns which will support the roof structures of all buildings. This phase of the work is due to be completed on Friday 19^th. Work will then commence on Monday to pour the reinforced concrete ‘footings’ which will allow block work to begin in about seven days time.

While all this has been going on Grace has been following up on getting the various records into order and has begun to sort out School Uniform issues. She noted that the clothes that had been produced for issue to sponsored children were lying in piles so John was tasked to come up with a design for hanging rails! Out here it is a case of make do and mend with whatever materials are available and his solution was therefore to modify some metal desk frames and we would quickly add this was with Tom Robinson’s approval! Our next task is to source some hangers to go along with the rails so wish us luck in finding those although there is always wire to bend if all else fails.

As we said previously schools are now on holiday but plans are being made to begin registrations again as soon as they are back in the classrooms.

We have usually been worshipping in the little church at Kitelera but this Sunday we had a complete change as we were invited to accompany the Ntandu family to a Confirmation Service in Dodoma Cathedral conducted by the Bishop himself.

This service saw 105 young people being confirmed so you can imagine the size of the congregation that was present. We were also surprised to be invited to address the congregation and bring greetings from Northern Ireland, quite daunting in front of such a crowd! Following the service we were invited to a reception being hosted by a brother of John Ntandu whose son had just been confirmed.

This was an amazing event with many speeches from the extended family and again we were invited by the Master of Ceremonies to stand and be introduced to the assembled throng. Following the speeches there was a feast of traditional African food which was not to be missed. Chips were also included and now seem to be part of any Tanzanian banquet!

The weather continues to be hot, dry and sunny, we wake up each morning and like home say I wonder is it going to be good today, altogether rather pointless as it will be!

Shopping continues to be an adventure and anyone who saw the photo of a box of what looked like Pringles on Facebook will be interested to know that they really were what we thought they were and they tasted great.

We will sign off again now and will be back with a further issue in two weeks time. As before if you are into Facebook keep an eye on the kids4school and firstdonegore pages where we will continue to post photographs of things as they happen!

Goodbye now until the next time and if you wish to drop us a line you can do so at the email address below.

We would especially thank those who have already contacted us either by email or Facebook, it really does keep us in touch with home!

John & Grace McCullagh

[email protected]

On behalf of BergCM, Mtelo Ministries and our kindred spirits who are suffering from the aftermath of last months devastating earthquake in Nepal, I wish to sincerely thank you for your generous support both in dollars and prayers.

We will be updating everyone via blog and email as information comes through about how your contributions are changing lives.  AND THEY ARE!

BergCM & Mtelo Ministries provided designated funds on May 13, 2015 to Gobinda, a friend and associate of missionaries we know well.  He lives in Pokara, Nepal.  His family was spared during the first earthquake that struck on April 25, 2015.  Gobinda immediately started to work to assist other less fortunate families, however, during the second earthquake his house was demolished.  His family was thankfully not injured, but they were forced to sleep outside with everyone else.

Gobinda reported on May 13th that there are dead bodies and debris from collapsed buildings all around.  The ground is still shaking.

In emails to Deborah Berg, Gobinda describes the horrors the victims are currently experiencing:

"A few minutes ago...2:30 AM...a man was sleeping in the open air with his family and a tiger came out of the forest and pulled him away.  Everyone was awakened...the men ran after the tiger with torches...they found the man after 15 minutes.  He was dead."

"We are very busy today.  We have provided the tents (temporary roof), packets of salts and bottles of safe drinking water.  We also have provided rice for 300 people but the materials are sufficient for only 2 days.  If we could provide for at least 7 days after that, then hope for the situation will be normal.  People, especially children, are very happy to be receiving the food.  Hope all can rest tonight.

I met the woman whose husband was dragged by a tiger, she is not feeling well.  She is in hospital and we helped her children by providing food for a few days.

Thank you again for your support.  Please continue to pray for the victims and [thank you for the] sufficient foods, at least for a week.

Best Regards,

Gobinda

BergCM friends and family have already provided tents for desperately needed shelter from the elements and wildlife as well as some food. But on-going support for basic survival is still needed.  

Thank you for your generous donations, they are making a difference!  And remember, you can continue to donate and BergCM & Mtelo Ministries will triple match your donation.  Just go to www.MteloMinistries.org and click on the donate button on the home page.  We welcome you to share this offer with family and friends who would like to help!

With Gratitude,

Melanie Nelson, Vice President of Operations

BergCM  

Nine years ago, Rachel began dialysis as she had battled chronic kidney disease from the time of her birth as she was born with Spinabifida.  The moment Rachel went on dialysis she was also enlisted on the organ transplant list.  The outlook and average wait time for her blood type to find a matching kidney was 4.5 to 6 years back in 2006.  When 4.5 years came around and the 6th was approaching, the transplant coordinators informed Rachel that her wait time had been extended to nearly 9 years for a matching kidney. Through it all, the highs and lows, the countless surgeries and trips to the ER, my Wife persevered.  It helped knowing we had the prayers and support offered by Tom and Deborah Berg, who always afforded me the time off when it was necessary. We believe only God can repay that debt and we reciprocate the prayers for them and everyone we work with who have always cared and shown support for Rachel.... And that includes the entire BergCM staff, I can't think of anyone I don't know, haven't worked with or somehow didn't hear about Rachel's condition throughout the years and genuinely cared and shown support. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Rachel began having "close calls" about 2 years ago when the transplant unit would call and put her on standby for a possible kidney, and every time, Rachel would pack a small bag, get ready and wait by the phone, several hours later she would get the call that they gave it to another patient higher on the list or a better match. Finally in June 2014, Rachel got the call and this time, the kidney was hers.  There is limited information a transplant nurse/coordinator can share with a patient over the phone when they call and ask if they would like to accept a kidney; that being, gender, age range, and limited medical history.  So when the transplant surgeon himself called Rachel back within 10 minutes as we were getting ready to leave, and said he didn't recommend Rachel accept the kidney as she might only get 2 or 3 years out of it due to its condition, she took his advice and declined after all.  The surgeon explained and provided more details about the kidney and how Rachel should wait for a healthier kidney given her age and since he would be the transplant surgeon on duty for the next 3 weeks in the region, he would keep her in mind the moment a better kidney was available.

From that point on, a couple weeks turned into several months and 4 more surgeries as Rachel's graft/access kept failing and her dialysis doctors were pushing her to have another graft placed in her right arm, Rachel struggled but was adamant she didn't want to have another graft and ended up with catheter in her neck for 3 weeks as they repaired her graft yet again.  Due to the previous close calls and taking the surgeons advice to pass on the kidney, Rachel clearly had her mind set on accepting the next kidney offered no matter what, she would take the risks in an attempt to end dialysis if only for a while. So on the night of January 16, 2015, around 8 PM as we were returning home from dinner, she got the call and was informed she was #3 on the list that night and when asked if she would accept the kidney if the other patients passed on it, Rachel said "yes" calmly and then asked a series of questions about the donor and that's when she was told by the coordinator the donor had been incarcerated and could only give a range of a few days to 1 year max of incarceration. Preliminary tests on the kidney were negative, but anything the donor could have contracted within the past ten days would not show up until 6 to 8 weeks later, and that's the risk taken. All things considered, Rachel didn't pass on the kidney and they told her they would call by 1 AM to inform her if she got the kidney or not. She did her usual preparation but had her doubts with a 'here we go again' gest. Watching the clock and phone, 11 PM came, then midnight, and ultimately 1 AM, and no call.  Rachel shrugged it off and said 'oh well' thinking yet again she was passed up for a transplant so we went to sleep.

Then a couple hours later at 3 AM, Rachel awoke to the phone call telling her to get ready and come to Loma Linda hospital for a transplant, the kidney was hers!!!  But the nurse warned that Rachel would have blood test done to ensure she wasn't currently sick.  We got the hospital, Rachel walked up to the transplant unit and found a team of nurses waiting for and they were surprised by her demeanor as if she wasn't impressed and had a 'let's get on with it' look.  All the while thinking that there would be something negative in her blood tests and when they said they would test for phosphorus levels, that was the deal breaker.  Rachel still didn't have her hopes up high as in the past week her dialysis doctor had scolded her for having high phosphorus levels, so she figured that would be the deal breaker and we'd be going home without a kidney. The phosphorus test was last test we were waiting results for and when they said her level was a 4.6, she got a bewildered look as all she needed was to have a 5.1 or lower on the potassium level, and now it became real, it was actually happening!

The transplant was on schedule for 9 AM as it turns out the donor was on life support and would be taken off support and have his organs removed at that time.  The surgeon informed Rachel that the kidney she would be receiving looked very healthy and was in good shape. Turns out the donor was never incarcerated, the mid-20's male was involved in a car accident and had he made it out of the hospital, would have gone to jail as he was technically arrested for the incident. In a symbiotic turn of events, Rachel benefited by receiving a kidney, as they also harvested his other kidney, liver, pancreas, heart, and tissue.  Many will be blessed and benefit from his tragedy. Rachel is doing very well, still recovering, enjoying foods she couldn't have or was limited to and has many hopes to travel and see many things as she is no longer tied to a dialysis machine, thank God.

Construction Manager Melanie Nelson received the award for the Sidewalk Repair and Tree Replacement Project in Council District 8 Project on behalf of BergCM along with our longtime client, Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative Program Manager Anna Apostolos.

The nomination summary tells the story best for this innovative solutions project:

"It’s hard to understand why a City of L.A.’s splendor has so many crappy sidewalks - 4,600 miles of them.

The problem is far more serious than a few cracks – we’re talking extreme safety hazards.  Residents find it difficult to safely leave their homes, suffer jacked up driveways, choked plumbing, expensive repairs, have to manually turn their City water on and off at the street in order to take a shower, or can’t get insurance because the dangerous conditions are a personal liability. 

While the $20 million budgeted sat unused and would be swept back into the Los Angeles' general fund, Councilman Bernard Parks of the City of Los Angeles’s 8^th Council District was determined to find a way to repair the worst sidewalks in his district and help residents who had appealed for assistance for many years.  He sought a strong collaborative partner that would get the job done, avoid the City’s pitfalls of red tape, and provide a frugal, swift and innovative solution.

Partnering with Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) as Program Manager, who brought on Berg & Associates to assist in the project bidding and manage the construction, Parks used what media dubbed ‘a loophole’ to allocate an initial $350, 000 in discretionary funds. Competitive bids utilized local contractors, allowed adding 10 more locations.

Nearly 100 locations are now complete, with 300 more to be added by the time Councilman Parks retires on June 30, 2015, at a total construction value of $1.5 million.

Using the latest in root barrier technology, destructive trees were replaced, in a ratio of 2 to 1, by sturdy, disease-resistant, drought-tolerant trees, with non-obtrusive root systems.  Uplifted sidewalks were removed and new sidewalks were constructed, transforming neighborhoods block by block.

As quoted to the L.A. Register, Parks said, “We found a way to create a system to fix these sidewalks at what we think is a fraction of the cost.  It creates an urgency and a timeline that we do not get from the City.”

By bypassing the broken City system, 400 residents will now be able to step safely onto the sidewalks in front of their homes.  Cost savings to the taxpayers is monumental, and the time saved is easily measured in years, not months.  A victory for all citizens of Los Angeles, this inventive model will hopefully serve as inspiration to other council districts to get creative for infrastructure repairs -- and get it done!" 

Construction Manager Cass Hamvas and supporting staff Melanie Nelson were on hand to accept the award for the Union Station Platform 7 Metrolink project, which was an all-around success despite the original contractor defaulting midway through construction.  Platform 7 was pro-actively bolstered by BergCM against legal vulnerabilities by exceptionally detailed documentation of all work completed by the default contractor including comprehensive future agreements and meticulous recording of project meetings and correspondence.  This keen awareness of the big picture with insightful forecasting and avoidance of potential legal pitfalls by Construction Manager Cass Hamvas put this project on the fast track to completion with only minimal budget repercussions, within 2% of the original contingency.  

Construction Manager Melanie Nelson received the award for the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area La Cienega Bridge Improvements along with Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative staff Anna Apostolos and Rebecca Draper, and architect Jeff Hutchins.  The La Cienega Bridge project was recognized due to its unique community engagement process to select the artist for the bridge artwork, and the forming of a technical advisory committee comprising of local agency personnel such as Culver City, County of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Department of Public Works, L.A. County Recreation and Parks and L.A. County Roads Division.  All technical advisory committee members voluntarily contributed their time to expedite the design and permitting approvals for this one of a kind art structure.  Melanie tighly managed the budget throughout construction which resulted in $40,000 in remaining contingency, and with help from the project team, swiftly implemented the contingency change order work for additional landscape and irrigation without need for a time extension.

BergCM was proud to accept the CMAA’s Project of the Year 2013 award for the Union Station Platform 7 project on March 27, 2013 at the L.A. Live Marriott in Downtown Los Angeles.  Project Manager Cass Hamvas was instrumental towards delivering a project worthy of this acclaim with her exceptional navigation through the challenge of the original contractor defaulting midway through construction.  The partnership BergCM fostered between Metrolink, Metrolink’s legal counsel, the original contractor’s bonding company and the takeover contractor was a testament to what partnering is all about.  We gratefully share this award with the many team members and stakeholders that contributed to the success of this project, most notably these project all-stars:

                                       Stuart Chuck, Project Manager, Metrolink                                     

Nigel Chalmers, Project Manager, Kemp Brothers Construction

Truc Moore, Los Angeles County Counsel

Richard Tropp, Benchmark, representing Arch Insurance

Other construction challenges included performing drilled pile and lagging shoring within 15 feet of a heavily used operating railroad track.  Work was carefully scheduled so as not to affect train schedules or interfere with public activity at the Station.  Pile excavation was 25 feet deep with very little leeway for error due to the Metro Red Line tunnel existing just 15 feet beyond that.  During the drilling of 100 piles, various random objects were discovered as digging unearthed remnants of Old Chinatown, long buried under Union Station’s first construction in 1939. 

The Platform 7 project is an outstanding team achievement due to the combined effort of every partner involved which resulted in high quality craftsmanship worthy of L.A.’s first class transportation hub and community jewel, Union Station.  

BergCM is pleased to announce that the American Public Works Association (APWA)awarded the City of Pomona’s Retrofit Lighting Project with the distinguished ‘Project of the Year Award for 2012’ at the annual awards celebration on December 12, 2012.  BergCM’s Project Manager Dominic Costello was instrumental in making this award winning project an achievement in green innovation and maximizing budget effectiveness.  BergCM was brought on board during the concept phase when just the City's budget of $1.4 million existed along with a goal to improve the City’s street lighting.  Due to the recent departure of the City’s Lighting Engineer, a scope of work had not been formulated.  Mr. Costello set to work researching and creating the plans to retrofit over 4,000 existing street lights with energy efficient lights and performed 70% of inspection while serving as Project Manager.  The new lighting materials increased the current street light lifespan from 6 years to 25 while reducing the energy draw by over 50%.  Additionally, the City of Pomona received a $126,000 rebate from SCE which further increased the value of this project to the City.  The overall savings this project delivered to the City of Pomona totaled over $173,000 per year in energy costs.  The impressive results of this project is a true example of BergCM’s passion to deliver flexible, creative and beneficial CM services that meets the specific needs of our clients.

On November 8, 2012 industry leaders and colleagues celebrated BergCM’s acceptance of WTS’s Employer of the Year 2012 award at the 26th annual Scholarship and Awards dinner in the beautiful ambiance of Union Station’s Main Concourse Ballroom. Women’s Transportation Seminar, known as WTS, is a leading international transportation organization with the purpose of supporting the advancement of women in the industry and also provides mentorship to young women pursuing transportation careers.

The winning nomination highlighted BergCM’s achievements from its past 30-plus years as a Construction Management employer who demonstrably cares for their staff in generous, compassionate and inspiring ways.

On receiving this prestigious award, CEO Deborah Berg reflected, “We are truly honored to receive this award from our peers that showcases exactly what we are about at BergCM… helping individuals achieve their potential knowing that is what ultimately makes the company successful.”

A portion of the nomination is shared below best describes why Berg & Associates was chosen by WTS to receive this most cherished award.

"Berg & Associates Construction Management was established in 1980 to provide resident engineering and inspection services to public works agencies at a time when women were a rare breed in the industry, particularly in the seat of CEO.  Deborah Berg was inspired to methodically build a small but mighty company of overachievers because being a woman owned business, only stellar people would get our foot in the Client’s door. Throughout the years Berg & Associates has carefully selected each staff member based on accreditation, commitment to a high work ethic, and a talent for ‘making it work’.  Although attitudes have modernized to be more embracing of women in the field, BergCM still maintains its rigid standards for selecting employees and as a result prides itself on the quality of personnel it has to offer.  BergCM possesses a long list of satisfied clients such as the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, Metrolink, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative, Caltrans, Los Angeles World Airports, in addition to Cities and Counties throughout California.  Awards for many past projects are displayed prominently in the lobby of our corporate office and are a testament to the high caliber of services that our staff delivers on a daily basis.

Berg & Associates has proudly maintained a rich balance of ethnicities and women in all positions that serve the company.  50% of executive and managerial staff are women and provide excellent female role models within our organization, especially to the new engineers joining us for employment.  Our women in management set high precedents by exhibiting strong leadership skills which promotes a positive impression of women in construction to the people they interact with on their projects.  BergCM strives to hire locally for staffing projects and promotes the use of public transportation by supplementing staff income to cover all bus and train costs to work.  The staff attitude remains fresh, inspired and dedicated to a high level of achievement because our accomplishments are noticed and rewarded with the recognition of internal promotions and the sincerest, most enthusiastic internal praise.  This is the beauty of the small company and is precisely why Deborah Berg wanted to fill the construction management needs with a ‘small but mighty’ team. 

CEO Deborah Berg is enthusiastically supportive and encouraging to all levels of staff towards furthering their education in the industry and established a policy that continuing education pursued in construction management will be sponsored by the company.  It is the prominence placed on education and dedication to remain cutting edge that brings a high level of expertise to our services.  Berg & Associates takes internship a step further than on the job training, such as hiring engineering graduates and investing the time to fully sponsor extensive project experience at BergCM’s sole expense.  It is this eye on the future, this willingness to invest in staff without concern for immediate profitability which earns us very sharp, dedicated and experienced people for tomorrow’s projects. 

Berg & Associates is proud to be a woman-owned business and we consider it a privilege and honorable duty to creatively support the success and stability of all women in the transportation industry."

Watch Slideshow of the WTS Awards Event 2012:  SLIDESHOW

Serving as CM for Metrolink’s $8.5 million Platform 7 restoration project, BergCM was responsible for overseeing construction and proficiently supporting Metrolink through the initial Contractor default and subsequent Bonding Company takeover of the Project.  Construction work included reinforced concrete platforms, new bolted steel canopy, continuous welded rail, energy efficient lighting, message boards, train yard communication and electrical system improvements, plus new stairways and handicap accessible access ramps on the north and south sides that match the vintage aesthetics of Union Station.  BergCM contracted with a digital high definition camera service to provide sunrise to sunset time lapse photography that captured the daily construction work which was an invaluable reference and security tool.  With train ridership numbers steadily on the rise and more people getting out of their cars in favor of public transit, this project is of tremendous benefit to passengers by improving flow on and off the trains and providing an overall improved commute.

Watch Grand Opening Video: 

Watch Slideshow of Completed Project: SLIDESHOW

Los Angeles Union Station Platform 7 - Now Complete!