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WEBVTT STACEY: TONIGHT AN IMPORTANT UPDATE IN A KCCI SPECIAL INVESTIGATION. BIG FINES AND MORE DELAYS FOR A NEW FLYOVER BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN AMES. STEVE: WORK IS STILL BEING DONE ON THE PROJECT AT U.S. HIGHWAY 30 AND INTERSTATE 35. IT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK FOR MONTHS BECAUSE OF A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION MISTAKE. STACEY: KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL BROKE THE STORY LAST SUMMER. STEVE: HE’S HAS THE NEW INFORMATION ON THE MISTAKE THAT IS EXPENSIVE AND QUITE VISIBLE. TODD: YOU MAY REMEMBER THE DOT DISCOVERED THE A BIG ERROR I THE $23 MILLION PROJECT. IT IS STILL NOT DONE. HERE’S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE LAST SUMMER AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW. THERE IS SOME PROGRESS BEAMS ARE NOW UP. BUT THE PROJECT WILL COST THE BUILDER A LOT OF PROGRESS AND NOT TO MENTION MONTHS AND MONTHS OF DELAYS. THE $23 MILLION AMES FLYOVER BRIDGE IS ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE DOT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE STATE. 44,000 CARS DRIVE PAST ON INTERSTATE 35 EVERY DAY. AS THIS ANIMATION SHOWS, THE BRIDGE WILL CARRY NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC FROM THE INTERSTATE TO WESTBOUND HIGHWAY 30 INTO AMES. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED BY LAST FALL. BUT NOW IT MAY BE DELAYED UNTIL NEXT SUMMER, ALL DUE TO AN EMBARRASSING CONSTRUCTION MISTAKE. >> PEOPLE SEE IT BEING CONSTRUCTED AND MOVING ALONG. THAT’S HELPFUL. ME PERSONALLY, IT’S ALWAYS DISCOURAGING WHEN I DRIVE BY IT. >> AND WHY IS THAT? >> JUST BECAUSE WE’D HOPED TO HAVE IT DONE BY NOW. TODD: DOT ENGINEER SCOTT DOCKSTADER IS IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT. ONE THAT’S BEING BUILT JUST A FEW MILES FROM DOT HEADQUARTERS, WHERE THEIR PRIDE HAS TAKEN A HIT. >> IT’S VERY VISIBLE AND IT’S THE HOME OF THE DOT AMES IOWA. TODD: HE IS ENCOURAGED NOW THAT THE CONTRACTOR HAS FINALLY BEGUN TO INSTALL LARGE STEEL BEAMS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY CARRY T BRIDGE DECK. THOSE BEAMS SET ON SIX HUGE PIERS. AND THAT’S WHERE THE PROBLEMS BEGAN. IN A STORY WE FIRST BROKE LA SUMMER, WE REPORTED THE CONTRACTOR, MINNOWA CONSTRUCTION, MADE A MISTAKE WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE TOPS OF THE BRIDGE PIERS. THEY HAD TO JACKHAMMER THE TOPS OFF ALL SIX PIERS AND RE-POUR THE CONCRETE. THOSE REPAIRS TOOK MONTHS. AND AT THE TIME, DOCKSTADER WAS NOT HAPPY. >> OBVIOUSLY IT’S DISAPPOINTING, IT’S A PRETTY IMPORTANT PROJECT WITH THE FLY OVER. TODD: THE DOT SAYS THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WITH MINNOWA GAVE THEM 240 DAYS TO FINISH THE FLYOVER BRIDGE. BUT THAT TIME RAN OUT LATE LAST YEAR. NOW WE’VE LEARNED THE BRIDGE WON’T BE FINISHED UNTIL JULY OR AUGUST. THAT IS MORE THAN SEVEN MONTHS LATE. >> THERE IS MONTHS AND MONTHS OF WORK TO HAPPEN YET. THE BRIDGE HOPEFULLY WILL BE COMPLETED BY JULY, BUT IT COULD BE ANYTIME A MONTH OR TWO AFTER THAT. IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW HARD THE CONTRACTOR HITS IT THIS YEAR. TODD: AND THE DELAY HAS SOME EXPENSIVE CONSEQUENCES. THE DOT CHARGES MINNOWA A PENALT $5500 A DAY FOR EVERY DAY THE PROJECT IS LATE. IT’S BEEN 50 DAYS SO FAR. THE DOT SAYS IT MAY TAKE ANOTHER 100 WORKING DAYS OR MORE TO FINISH. THAT ADDS UP TO MORE THAN $800,000 THAT MINNOWA HAS TO PAY THE STATE IN FINES OR LIQUIDATED DAMAGES. >> ABSOLUTELY IT’S DISAPPOINTING, OUR HOPE AND PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO PAY A BONUS. WE HAD A STRUCTURE TO SET UP TO PAY A BONUS IN A CERTAIN TIME FRAME. TODD: BUT BONUSES ARE ONLY PAID IF BUILDING PROJECTS ARE FINISHED EARLY. IRONICALLY, IN THE END THE CONSTRUCTION FINES WILL ACTUALLY REDUCE THE TOTAL COST OF T BRIDGE, SINCE THAT $800,000 IS PAID TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. THE DOT SAYS IT HAS URGED CONTRACTORS TO BE MORE CAREFUL. BUT ADMITS THERE IS A CERTAIN REALITY WHEN IT COMES TO COMPLEX BUILDING PROJECTS LIKE A $23 MILLION BRIDGE. >> THERE ARE MANY TIMES THAT WE HAVE ERRORS IN WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE ON A PROJECT THAT THE PUBLIC REALLY NEVER SEES. PROJECT. TODD: THE DOT SAYS MINNOWA CONSTRUCTON HAS PROMISED TO BEING ON MORE CREWS TO HELP SPEED UP THE AMES FLYOVER BRIDGE. BUT THAT PROBABLY WON’T HAPPEN UNTIL THE WEATHER HAS IMPROVED , AND THAT PROBABLY WON’T HAPPEN UNTIL SOMETIME THIS SPRING. STEVE: SOME VIEWERS EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE BRIDGE SINCE PARTS OF THE SUPPORT PIERS WERE REBUILT. WHAT DOES THE DOT SAY? TODD: WE ASKED THEM TODAY. THEY SAY THERE ARE NO STRUCTURAL CONCERNS FOR THE BRIDGE I HAVE SEEN. SC

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A Minnesota-based contractor might have to pay more than $800,000 in fines or liquidated damages for a major construction error and subsequent delays in one of the state's largest and most expensive bridge projects.KCCI first reported in July that the $23 million flyover bridge at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Highway 30 has been delayed numerous times and had to be rebuilt after Iowa Department of Transportation officials discovered that each of the six piers and each of the ramps was built incorrectly.The construction project, which was supposed to be finished by last fall, is one of the most visible Department of Transportation projects in the state, with an estimated 44,000 cars driving past it on Interstate 35 every day. The project may be delayed until late this summer because of the embarrassing construction mistake.Construction of the flyover bridge project began in 2016. The bridge was designed to prevent major crashes that have happened over the years. But some of the tightly curved ramps are too tough to negotiate at high speeds, and trucks and cars end up running off the road.According to plans, the bridge will carry northbound traffic from the interstate to westbound Highway 30 into Ames. The flyover bridge will eliminate one of the old cloverleaf exits.RELATED: Uh-oh! Construction crews must redo $23 million project after big mistakeIt's being built just a few miles from the Department of Transportation headquarters in Ames."People see it being constructed and moving along," said Scott Dockstader, an Iowa Department of Transportation engineer who is in charge of the project. "That's helpful. It's always discouraging when I drive by it because we'd hope to have it done by now."He said he is encouraged now that the contractor, Minnowa Construction, has finally begun to install large steel beams that will eventually carry the bridge deck. Those beams sit on six huge piers, which is where the problems began.The points or anchor sleeves that the beams bolt to were in the wrong place. They were off by several inches, so crews had to jackhammer off the concrete tops, leave the existing steel reinforcement bars in place and pour new concrete to the correct height."It would be considered human error, the mistake on elevation, because it's pretty clear in the plans how high the bridge piers should be," Dockstader said at the time. "Obviously, it's disappointing. It's a pretty important project with the flyover."The repair took months.Iowa Department of Transportation engineers said the original contract gave Minnow Construction 240 days to finish the flyover bridge, but that time ran out late last year. KCCI has learned that the bridge won't be finished until July or August, which is more than seven months late.That delay has expensive consequences. The Iowa Department of Transportation charges the contractor a steep penalty: $5,500 a day for every day that the project is late. There is not an additional cost to Iowa taxpayers.It's been 50 days as of Thursday, and officials said it could take another 100 or more business days to finish. That adds up to more than $800,000 that Minnowa would have to pay the state in fines or liquidated damages."Absolutely, it's disappointing," Dockstader said. "Our hope and preference would be to pay a bonus. We had a structure to set up to pay a bonus in a certain time frame."However, bonuses are only paid if building projects are finished early. Ironically in the end, the construction fines will actually reduce the total cost of the bridge since that $800,000 is paid to the Iowa Department of Transportation.Dockstader said the department has urged contractors to be more careful but admits there is a certain reality when it comes to complex building projects like a $23 million bridge.There are many times that we have errors in work that has to be done on a project that the public never sees," Dockstader said. "This is just a very visible project."The Iowa Department of Transportation said Minnowa Construction has promised to bring on more crews to help speed up the Ames flyover bridge, but that probably won't happen until weather conditions improve in the spring.Dockstader said there are no structural concerns with the bridge, which should last for at least 50 years, and it will be a beneficial addition to the Ames area.Minnowa Construction is a longtime bidder on Iowa Department of Transportation construction projects.When asked if the flyover bridge problem would disqualify the company from future building projects, Dockstader said, "Minnowa has been around for many, many years in construction. They are a good firm, qualified to bid on projects. All projects are complex, so we have issues with all contractors across the state. This particular firm was a qualified bidder and was awarded the project."