In 16 years, a $450 million V.A. hospital project became a $1.6 billion mess

In 2008, the Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.) unveiled plans to raze several outdated, earthquake-prone structures at its medical center in Palo Alto, California, and replace them with newer, safer facilities, including a state of the art psychiatric hospital . By the time the construction began in 2009, it was expected to be finished in six years, with a price tag of roughly $450 million. In the 16 years since the project's construction started, its costs have ballooned to nearly $1.6 billion—more than triple the original budget—and the project is now not expected to be completed until at least 2036, according to a recent report by the V.A.'s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The 65-page report provides a withering account that highlights the initiative's many failings. For sta