“That is absolutely false,” said state Secretary of Transportation Aubrey L. Layne Jr. VDOT holds the purse strings to the project and had paid out a little more than $30.5 million, about 47 percent of the total budget, as of mid-September, according to VDOT accounting. “There is no way that money could be paid legally.”

In an interview, Gray cited a state government source for her claim, clarifying that she had been told the project could cost $120 million when finished.

“We’re going to know when the whole thing is over. The source I have is very solid,” Gray said. “I misspoke when I said cost to date.”

Pace and Layne both said the Pulse is on budget. Layne said the contract price is fixed, meaning the only way it could grow is if the contractor does not finish before the June 30 completion date and files a claim that work was delayed by another agency, such as VDOT or a city permitting agency, beyond the contractor’s control.

There are no such claims at this time, Layne said.