Brutoco Engineering Construction Inc

Mistakes made at an engineering lab run by the city of Los Angeles led to lengthy delays in the construction of a freeway overpass in the San Fernando Valley and to more than $1 million in extra costs, confidential reports by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's inspector general conclude. In June, the MTA's board voted to pay an additional $1.4 million to Fontana-based Brutoco Engineering & Construction Inc.

Mistakes made at an engineering lab run by the city of Los Angeles led to lengthy delays in the construction of a freeway overpass in the San Fernando Valley and to more than $1 million in extra costs, confidential reports by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's inspector general conclude. In June, the MTA's board voted to pay an additional $1.4 million to Fontana-based Brutoco Engineering & Construction Inc.

Officials with a Fontana construction firm are devastated by the death of a 51-year-old employee who was crushed when an Irvine trench collapsed, and are planning to assist the dead man's family, a firm spokesman said Thursday. "We're all going through a very difficult time right now," said Tom Salata, executive vice president of Brutoco Engineering and Construction Inc. and the first company official to speak publicly about the accident. "He's not just a Social Security number," Salata said.

Officials with a Fontana construction firm are devastated by the death of a 51-year-old employee who was crushed when an Irvine trench collapsed, and are planning to assist the dead man's family, a firm spokesman said Thursday. "We're all going through a very difficult time right now," said Tom Salata, executive vice president of Brutoco Engineering and Construction Inc. and the first company official to speak publicly about the accident. "He's not just a Social Security number," Salata said.

While rebuilding the earthquake-torn eastbound lanes of the Simi Valley Freeway in Granada Hills, Brutoco Engineering & Construction Inc. ran into a snag. After reinforcing steel and concrete was set in a hole, an error in how it was placed was discovered. The steel had to be pulled out, adjusted, then put back in. These things happen at construction sites. Normally, the situation would be reviewed, reports would be filed and arguments would break out. But this was no normal job.

As part of the city's centennial activities, Pomona will dedicate the interchange of Rio Rancho Road and the Corona (California 71) Expressway on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The interchange is described as "the first full interchange of the California State Highway System to be designed, constructed, administered and paid for by a municipality." Built by Brutoco Engineering & Construction Inc.

Ramps for the Long Beach Freeway at Rosecrans Avenue in Paramount have been closed for one year as part of the construction of the Century Freeway, according to the California Department of Transportation. The closure began Monday. Work crews will tear down and replace the Rosecrans Avenue bridge over the Long Beach Freeway. Portions of the freeway, both northbound and southbound, also will be widened in preparation for an interchange that will connect the Long Beach Freeway with the Century.

Los Angeles County transit officials agreed Thursday to spend an extra $3 million for street widening and other expenses related to the Red Line's subway stop in Universal City, boosting once again the cost of that project, now nearing $40 million. In addition to the street-widening money, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board agreed the agency should pay an additional $1.4 million to the builder of the overpass connecting Lankershim and Ventura boulevards near the stop.

A 51-year-old construction worker was killed and another man was injured Tuesday when a trench wall collapsed and trapped the men in a roadside drainage ditch. Co-workers jumped into the ditch to try to free Pedro Ornelas Lopez, who was buried up to his neck under several thousand pounds of dirt, fire officials said. Firefighters eventually rescued Lopez, who was unconscious and later died at Irvine Medical Center.

While rebuilding the earthquake-torn eastbound lanes of the Simi Valley Freeway in Granada Hills, Brutoco Engineering & Construction Inc. ran into a snag. After reinforcing steel and concrete was set in a hole, an error in how it was placed was discovered. The steel had to be pulled out, adjusted, then put back in. These things happen at construction sites. Normally, the situation would be reviewed, reports would be filed and arguments would break out. But this was no normal job.