BOSTON - Six men who supplied concrete to Boston's infamous "Big Dig" road project were arrested on Thursday for delivering sub-standard materials to the biggest public works endeavor in U.S. history, federal officials said.
The men, who worked as managers at Aggregate Industries, face a string of federal charges for falsifying paperwork to recycle certain batches of concrete used in building the underground roadway, said Gail Marcinkiewicz, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston.
Aggregate Industries, a unit of Swiss company Holcim Ltd. and one of the world's largest cement makers, was the biggest supplier of cement used in building the 7.8 mile (12.6-km) street below downtown Boston.
A company spokesman did not return a call seeking comment.
State and federal officials last year launched a probe into the matter after being tipped off by a whistle blower. When state police raided company offices, they found that managers had fraudulently reissued paperwork for concrete that had been rejected elsewhere at the site.
Officials said the concrete was rejected because it did not meet the strength specifications spelled out in the state's contract.
Costs for building the roadway ballooned to $14.6 billion from under $3 billion during the more than 14 years to finish the work. The last major section was opened to motorists earlier this year.
Although officials acknowledged last year that faulty concrete was used, they also reassured travelers the tunnel, which had been previously plagued by leaks, was safe.
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