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Investigation Finds No Retaliation For Bay Bridge Whistleblowers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A California Highway Patrol investigation has found Caltrans did not retaliate against employees who raised concerns about construction defects on the new span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

The report released Friday concludes that Caltrans also did not violate whistleblower laws. It did, however, identify a pattern of mismanagement that led many employees to believe their concerns would be ignored or they would be punished for raising them.

California Transportation Agency Secretary Brian Kelly requested the investigation after concerns about retaliation were raised during legislative hearings into construction defects, delays and cost overruns on the $6.5 billion span.

Kelly says the report identified serious management shortfalls in communication, documentation, transparency and following policy. He says he has asked the head of Caltrans to make management changes by Dec. 1.

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