Cost of Super Collider Climbs

A report from the Energy Department shows that costs for the Superconducting Super Collider have jumped nearly 50% and construction time will be extended another year.

In a report to lawmakers last week, the department estimated the cost at $8.2 billion, compared to an initial estimate of $5.3 billion, and predicted that the project will not be completed until the fall of 1999.

The facility, to be built in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas, will be used by scientists to study subatomic particles in hopes of learning more about the fundamental properties of matter and energy.

The report said the cost increases were largely the result of design changes recommended by scientists who said the technical improvements were needed to assure the project’s success. “We do not consider this increase a cost overrun,” said Deputy Energy Secretary Henson Moore. “It reflects changes in design to meet scientific requirements and a change in schedule to match more realistic funding profiles.”