Matt Amorello, ex-Mass Pike chief up for drunk driving, in jail overnight

It isn't just Penn Pike bigshots who have trouble with the booze. Massachusetts Turnpike's colorful former chairman and CEO Matt Amorello was booked by police for drunk driving, and leaving the scene of a crash, in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was held in the local lockup overnight.

The incident occurred on River Road, a major surface arterial in Haverhill, a northern suburb of Boston.

Matt's brother Peter Amorello told the Boston News today his brother was "going through a difficult time," and complained that the press was harassing Matt: "Can't you give a guy a break?"

Born 1958 Amorello has degrees in law and public administration. He was commissioner of the Massachusetts Highway Department, a Republican state senator for Worcester for 8 years in the 1990s, then chairman & CEO of the state Turnpike 2002 to 2006.

Amorello loved publicity - see the Matt Pike sign top left.

He was always at the podium.

His mishandling of the Big Dig project and his love of the 'mike' brought him down. After a July 2006 tunnel ceiling collapse that killed a motorist he foolishly insisted the problem was an isolated one.

Inspections soon showed the problem was systemic.

The whole ceiling system of 12 ton concrete sections had been hung with anchors attached only with epoxy to holes drilled up into the concrete structure above. Many anchors were showing the signs of 'creep' threatening further ceiling falls. (see pic bottom left)

Epoxy should only have been specified for lightweight ceiling. Heavy ceilings require mechanical attachment - welds or bolts steel-to-steel.

Modern Continental the builder settled for $21m, admitting negligence. The company subsequently went bankrupt.

Neither Turnpike engineers, nor its expensive engineering consultants from Bechtel and Parsons Brinckerhoff had questioned the use of the deficient epoxied ceiling anchors.

Dismal legacy

We reported at the time on Amorello's departure from his $223k/yr job at the Mass Pike: "He left a dismal legacy of high costs and growing debt, low revenues, low state of repair and low public esteem. He treated the Turnpike as a personal fiefdom, refusing to call meetings of the board when he thought he might be outvoted, and refusing to publish decisions of board meetings and annual financial reports."

When Amorello's departure became inevitable he attempted to steal tens of thousands of Turnpike dollars by raising severance benefits for himself without asking his board of directors.

The state ethics commission reported after an investigation: "…the net effect of Amorello's actions was a substantial increase... in buy-back benefits. As a result of Amorello's participation, what began before July 2006 as a 0% cash payment for non-retirees became a 50% cash payment. What began before July 2006 as a 20% cash payment only on retirement became a 50% cash payment and a 50% contribution to health insurance premiums - a huge increase..."

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LANGUAGE: technically Amorello was charged with "Operating Under the Influence" or OUI they say in Massachusetts. "Operating"? That sounds like an offense that a surgeon might commit or a crane operator, not a car driver.  Most states the legal jargon seems to be 'driving under the influence' or DUI. 'Drunk driving' is the clearest term.

TOLLROADSnews 2010-08-08