Study: State road projects suffer cost, time overruns

Suburban road projects in Maryland are costing about 50 percent more than initially budgeted andtaking almost three years longer than planned to complete, according to a new Montgomery County study.

Montgomery Councilwoman Nancy Floreen, who leads the county’s transportation committee, asked staffers to study why the county continues to cut checks for road projects that run far over budget. Analysts found that the average road project cost 54 percent more than originally thought, or 42 percent more once costs are adjusted for inflation.