After contractor walks off Rt. 24/140 job in Taunton — how good was work already done?
TAUNTON — Did the former contractor for the now delayed, $139 million, multi-year construction project at the interchange of Route 140 and Route 24 in Taunton do sub-par work that has to be redone?
Mass DOT says no.
“There are no substantial quality issues with work performed to date that require work to be redone,” John Goggin of the MassDOT Communications Office told the Taunton Daily Gazette in an email — assuring the public that work will resume forward, not backward, when a new contractor is hired.
Previous contractor walks off the job
The previous contractor, Cardi Corporation, based in Rhode Island, officially suspended operations on the project on Oct. 27, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Project Tracking System.
Cardi had commenced construction in May 2021 and was scheduled to work on this massive project for six years, to be completed in early 2027.
Goggin did not comment on how much of a delay losing and finding a replacement contractor will cause to the project’s timeline.
What we know Contractor walks off $116 million Route 24/140 construction job in Taunton
Picking up the ball
Goggin told the Gazette MassDOT is presently in discussions with the former contractor’s surety bond company about completing the project under a takeover agreement with a replacement contractor.
A construction surety bond is a contractual agreement among three parties: the owner of the site, in this case the state; the original construction company, in this case, Cardi; and the surety bond company, which guarantees the work will be completed.
“The bonding company would be responsible for providing a MassDOT approved replacement contractor and would be obligated by contract to complete the project in accordance with the terms in the contract,” said Goggin.
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Will this cost more?
Cardi had the winning bid for the project in late 2020 at $116.5 million. The $139.2 total project price tag also includes a contingency fund, construction engineering and traffic police details.
Goggin said MassDOT will not be paying more.
"Any additional costs to the project beyond the original $116.5 million contract bid price is the responsibility of the bonding company,” Goggin said
Still a lot of work to do
The scope of work under the contract is redoing the Route 24 bridge overpass and ramps over Route 140, as well as two bridges on Route 24 above sets of railroad tracks, which will be used as train lines for South Coast Rail.
In addition, the project called for widening of 24 and 140 in that area with new lanes to accommodate future South Coast Rail-based traffic, as well as new traffic signals on 140, new lighting on 24, and extending the culvert on the Cotley River carrying water under 140.
Goggin said the project is presently 23% complete.
This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: How good was work by Cardi construction on Route 24/140 interchange?
