The Library of Congress' New Madison Building: Reasons for, and Effects of, Delays and Escalating Costs

When the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building was approved in 1965, it was to cost $75 million. Currently, the Architect of the Capitol is requesting funds that will bring the cost to over $134 million. The original completion date was January 1971. The Architect now estimates completion by January 1980. However, the contractor doing the interior finishing work estimates May 1981. Design and construction of the building was done in overlapping phases, which made it difficult to ascertain the net effect of a delay in one of the phases.