After much fanfare, Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff has agreed to settle a lawsuit from the state and will pay $407 million. Smaller companies involved with the Big Dig will pay $51 million.

$400 million seems small given the cost overruns of the Big Dig, but the state won't be turning that kind of money down. The AP report on WBZ notes that Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff received $2 billion for consulting on the project, so this is a partial refund.

The settlement means that Bechtel Parsons/Brinckerhoff will not face criminal charges in the death of Milena Del Valle, who died when part of the I-90 tunnel fell on her in 2006.

The press release from US Attorney Michael Sullivan states that if anything else like this happens, "the Agreement does not release BECHTEL/PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF from liability for any future catastrophic events which occur within the next ten years. Today’s Agreement provides that if a future catastrophic event relating to the CA/T Project causes more than $50 million in damages, the federal and state governments retain the right to sue Bechtel and PB." If only this settlement would make all the problems relating to the Big Dig go away ...

Image of Brigham's Big Dig ice cream flavor from the Brigham's website. That ice cream flavor is one of the better things to emerge from the Big Dig.