Just before Christmas, a Department of Transportation spokesperson admitted to the Times Newsweekly that the contract it had with the firm Mugrose Construction to rebuild the bridge over the LIRR at Metropolitan Avenue and Fresh Pond Road had defaulted. The paper reported, “The project that was once projected to have its first phase completed by January 2018 has now been completely stalled…[Community Board 5 Chairman Vincent] Arcuri added that it appears Mugrose wasn’t qualified for this work based on their previous experience. But however this plays out, he said, there will be further delays in the project while the DOT is communicating with the bonding company, and especially if they have to bring in a new contractor or produce a new bond.” Perhaps “low-bid” contracting isn't the way to go as it tends to cost more in the long run. And maybe it's not a good idea to award a big contract to small firms with checkered histories. In the meantime, there will continue to be traffic delays and safety concerns near that intersection.