Carnac Bridge contactor to be fined 1cr for delays

Mumbai: The BMC has proposed a Rs 1 crore penalty on the contractor tasked with reconstructing the Carnac Bridge near Masjid Bunder station, citing delays in the arrival of key girders. The girders were expected by April 30 but had not arrived as of May 6. A penalty of Rs 10 lakh was levied for delays on May 1 and 2, followed by Rs 20 lakh per day from May 3 to 6, bringing the total fine to Rs 1 crore. A senior bridge department official said that also a warning letter has already been served to the contractor that in case of a delay in works beyond the June 7 deadline it has said the contractor would also be blacklisted. "The delay will not be tolerated. We had already asked that the work be fast tracked," said the official. The bridge before its demolition would serve as a vital connector between south Mumbai and the eastern suburbs, linking commuters to the Eastern Freeway and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, which connects to Navi Mumbai. 150 year old bridge , which was first built in 1866-67, was kept off limit for heavy vehicles in August 2014, as the bridge finally began to show signs of age. After this stage, the BMC's bridge department said that the ongoing works include piling for the approach roads on the east and west sides, concreting of approach roads, and load testing.