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WEBVTT IS BREAKING RIGHTNOW.WE WANT TO TO KNOW WHY PENNDOTIS DOING THIS.REPORTER: IN EXCHANGE FORDROPPING THE FINE THE CONTRACTORJOSEPH FAY CO. WILL GET WORKDONE FASTER TO CAUSE FEWERDISRUPTIONS TO DRIVERS.BUT SOME DRIVERS WE TALKED TOSTILL FEEL THE CONTRACTOR SHOULDFACE A STIFF PENALTY FOR CAUSINGSUCH A HUGE MESS.SMOKE AND FLAMES SHOT OUT OF THELIBERTY BRIDGE AS IT BURNED LASTSEPTEMBER.FOR NEARLY A MONTH THE BRIDGEWAS CLOSED, SNARLING TRAFFICDOWNTOWN AND INTO SOUTH HILLS.IN NOVEMBER PENNDOT FINEDCONTRACTOR JOSEPH FAY CO.$3 MILLION FOR THE DISRUPTIONSCAUSED AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE.THEN IN MAY PENNDOT QUIETLYSIGNED THIS AGREEMENT WITH FAYMAKING THE FINE DISAPPEAR.>> THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE TOPAY ANY OF THAT.>> THAT IS CORRECT.REPORTER: AND YOU FEEL THAT ISFAIR TO THE PUBLIC?>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.REPORTER: PENNDOT'S ACTINGDISTRICT EXECUTIVE SAYS INSTEADOF PAYING A FINE FAY IS WORKINGEXTRA SHIFTS TO GET THE WORKDONE FASTER CAUSING FEWERDISRUPTIONS FOR DRIVERS.THE COMPANY AGREED TO 52 FEWERCLOSURE DAYS FOR THE RAMPS TOAND FROM BOULEVARD OF THEALLIES.THAT EARNED FAY A $1.2 MILLIONCREDIT TOWARDS ITS FINE.FAY IS ALSO ELIMINATING PLANS TOLIMIT THE BRIDGE TO ONE LANE INEACH DIRECTION FOR A TWO-WEEKPERIOD.THAT WAS WORTH A HALF MILLIONDOLLAR CREDIT TOWARD THE FINE.>> IT WAS ACTUALLY A WAY FOR USTO DIRECTLY RETURN THE MONEY TOTHE MOTORISTS, BECAUSE WE AREREDUCING THE IMPACTS THIS YEARAND THE COST THIS THEY WOULDHAVE INCURRED WITH THESEADDITIONAL DELAYS THAT THEYWOULD HAVE HAD THIS CONSTRUCTIONSEASON.REPORTER: THEY SAY THEY ANDPENNDOT CONTINUE EFFORTS TO OPENTHE BRIDGE EARLIER THAN PLANNEDTO FURTHER MINIMIZE IMPACT TOTHE TRAVELING PUBLIC.FAY HAS WILLINGLY AABSORBEDADDITIONAL COSTS TO TO FULFILLTHIS OBJECTIVE.A FORMER PENNDOT EXECUTIVESIGNED OFF ON THE AGREEMENT JUSTTHREE DAYS BEFORE HE LEFTPENNDOT TO WORK FOR MICHAELBAKER INTERNATIONAL, A MAJORPENNDOT CONTRACTOR.>> THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT THETIMING OF THIS >>NO, NO, WE WERE IN THE PROCESSWITH IT, WE WERE ALL INVOLVEDWITH IT, SO DAN WAS INTIMATELYINVOLVED WITH IT.SO WE MADE SURE WE GOT THAT INPLACE BEFORE DAN LEFT.REPORTER: SOME DRIVERS WE SPOKETO FEEL CONTRACTOR JOSEPH FAYCO. SHOULD HAVE TO PAYSOMETHING.>> STILL HAVE TO BE PUNISHED FORSOMETHING THAT WASN'T SUPPOSEDTO HAPPEN.>> I GOT PARKING TICKETS ANDFINEST FOR DRIVING MY CAR THAT IHAVE TO PAY.NO ONE IS WAVINWAVE WAIVINGTHOSE.WHY ARE THEY WAIVING IT FOR ABIG COMPANY, THAT WOULD BENEFITOUR CITY.HAVE TO PAY PENNDOT ABOUT$800,000 IN COSTS IN THE AGENCYHAD TO TO COVER DURING THEBRIDGE SHUTDOWN.EVEN THOUGH DISRUPTION ISMINIMIZED TO DRIVERS THERE IS NO

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Ten months ago, the Liberty Bridge caught fire and nearly collapsed, frustrating drivers for weeks while repairs were made.PennDOT fined the bridge contractor $3 million for the fire.Action News Investigates has learned PennDOT is waiving the fine.PennDOT said that in exchange for dropping the fine, the contractor -- Joseph B. Fay Co. -- will get work done faster to cause fewer disruptions to drivers.In May, PennDOT quietly signed an agreement with Fay, making the fine disappear.Asked whether he thinks that is fair to the public, acting District Executive James Foringer said, "Absolutely."Foringer said Fay is working extra shifts to get the work done faster in the areas that cause the worst traffic delays.The company agreed to 52 fewer closure days for the ramps to and from Boulevard of the Allies. That earned Fay a $1.2 million credit toward its fine.Fay also eliminated plans to limit the bridge to just one lane in each direction for a two-week period. That was worth a $560,000 credit toward the fine.“It was actually a way for us to directly return the money to the motorists, because we're reducing the impacts this year and the costs they would have incurred with the additional delays they would have had this construction season,” Foringer said.In a statement, Joseph B. Fay said, "Fay and PennDOT continue cooperative efforts to open the bridge earlier than originally planned to further minimize impacts to the traveling public. Fay has willingly absorbed additional costs to successfully fulfill this objective."Former PennDOT District Executive Dan Cessna signed off on the agreement just three days before he left PennDOT to work for Michael Baker International, a major PennDOT contractor.Reporter Paul Van Osdol asked Foringer if there was a concern about the timing of the deal."No, we were in process with it. We were all involved with it," Foringer said. "Dan was intimately involved with it, so we made sure we got it done and in place before Dan left."Some drivers who frequently use the bridge said contractor Joseph B. Fay should have to pay something.“They should still be punished for something that wasn't supposed to happen,” said Jessica Boyko of Brookline."I've got parking tickets and fines for driving my car that I have to pay. No one's waiving those," said Elizabeth Duffy of Brookline. "So why are they waiving it for a big company that owes millions of dollars that would benefit our city?"Fay will still have to pay PennDOT in costs that the agency had to cover during the bridge shutdown.Even though the contractor is reducing disruptions to drivers, there is no change to the final completion date for the bridge rehab. That will be in July of next year.