Firm to pay NH nearly $10M after design error causes construction delay at state hospital

CONCORD, N.H. —

New Hampshire will receive about $10 million in compensation for what officials call one of the biggest fails on a state construction project in recent history.

The settlement will allow work to resume on the new secure psychiatric unit at the state hospital complex in Concord, but executive councilors are upset that the settlement doesn't fully cover the costs being incurred by the state.

"What we're talking about here is probably the single biggest project failure in the last decade," said Charlie Arlinghaus, commissioner of administrative services.

State officials said the discovery of a design error deep in the foundation of the new secure psychiatric unit at the state hospital in Concord will end up costing millions of dollars, and taxpayers will have to cover up t