"Big Dig" investigation results in 6 arrests

By Scott Files

Published on May 04, 2006

The indictment involves a project originally named the Central Artery and Third Harbor Tunnel project. Renamed, the "Big Dig," it was a gigantic highway project that buried Interstate 93 in tunnels beneath downtown while connecting the Massachusetts Turnpike with Logan Airport. A third tunnel beneath Boston harbor was also constructed.

The defendants were arrested in connection with charges that allege they falsified records to hide the poor quality of the concrete used on the $14.6 billion dollar highway project from 1999 to 2003. Aggregate provided 60% of the concrete used on the project.

FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said that "My understanding is what they did was mix, commingled leftover concrete with new concrete." Aggregate Industries was raided last year by state officials who reported finding evidence that substantiated the charges.

The project, which began in 1991 had numerous delays and cost overruns that ballooned the initial budget from $2.6 billion to over $14 billion. The final stages of the project were completed earlier this year.

Authorities have said there's no reason to believe the substandard concrete affected the project's structural integrity because it was delivered six years ago and problems would have surfaced by now.

Indicted were Robert Prosperi, 63, general manager; Marc Blais, 36, dispatch manager; John Farrar, 42, dispatch manager; Gerard McNally, 53, quality control manager; Gregory Stevenson, 53, district operations manager; and Keith Thomas, 50, dispatch manager.

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