PROVIDENCE – The Warwick-based construction services and materials company, Cardi Corp., is set to pay $500,000 to the federal government in a settlement over the company’s installation of crash railings on the Interstate 195 I-way bridge over the Providence River.
The railing, which was installed in 2007 upon completion of the bridge, was found to not comply with Federal Highway Administration’s safety standards. The defect went unnoticed until a vehicle hit the crash railing in 2013 and prompted further inspection of the design.
The U.S. Attorney’ office and the U.S. Department of Transportation concluded that Cardi Corp. altered structural elements of the rail that were intended to anchor the railing to the bridge without approval from R.I. Department of Transportation, or notice to the Federal Highway Administration, which provided 80 percent of funds for the initial installation of the rails. The segment of guard rail in question has since been replaced at no cost to the federal agencies and now complies with FHWA safety standards.
“As evidenced by this settlement agreement with Cardi Corp., we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the integrity of the programs designed to maintain and improve our nation’s transportation infrastructure,” said Todd Damiani, regional special agent-in-charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial colleagues, we will continue to protect the taxpayers’ investment in our nation’s infrastructure from fraud, waste, abuse and violations of law.”
Cardi Corp. has no statement on the settlement at this time.
