As I recall the history this project is a near-perfect example of how pork-oriented-spending is not congruent with R&D projects. Everything from site selection to subcontracting was divvied up to appeal to the relevant congressmen. These unnatural constraints caused delays, logistical issues, and massive cost overruns. Their ability to solve those issues was hamstrung by the projects organization. Thanks to the dependencies they were a ways in before this all blew up and the project had to be stopped.

Building something like the SSC or LHC is fundamentally hard. Making someone do something that is hard while twirling a baton for political pleasure, much less getting critical components from two suppliers who can't integrate until construction, almost guarantees failure.

The correct approach, ironically, is perfectly embodied by the post WW2 machinations of the US government... Make the goals clear, dump appropriate money in engineering and technology organizations, let the nerds figure out the devlish details, and enjoy your A-bomb blowing up on time and schedule.