At the south end of the new pedestrian bridge over Route 195 to India Point Park, is a compass. The bridge, which is nearing completion, will be the site of a grand opening celebration on Oct. 18.

The Providence Journal Frieda Squires

PROVIDENCE — The pedestrian bridge linking Fox Point with India Point Park is finally set to open, more than a year behind schedule. Neighbors want to know why the state isn’t charging the contractor heavy fees for the delay.

The 48-foot-wide bridge is now one of the landmarks of the Route 195 relocation project. The white bridge, bearing the green words “India Point Park Bridge,” replaces a skinny, old footbridge that was torn down in 2005.

The new bridge should open next week, and is intended to be an extension of the park itself — a green space with plantings, grass, lighting and seating — while cars buzz by on the highway below.

But the bridge is long overdue. It was intended to open last fall, but a series of delays pushed it back significantly, and Fox Point residents want to know why the state isn’t going after the contractor, Cardi Corp., for damages. Cardi’s contract allows the state to charge $2,600 per day the bridge is late, according to David Riley of the local group Friends of India Point Park.

“There should be a $2,600-a-day fine,” Riley said at a community meeting on the project attended by state Department of Transportation Director Michael Lewis.

The relocation of a locally prized oak tree was responsible for a brief delay, perhaps two months worth. The rest of the time was due to weather, changes to the bridge itself, and what Lewis called “unforeseen circumstances.”

“I think we all would have liked to see the bridge open earlier, but we can’t change the past,” Lewis said. “There were changes made during the construction that made it a better project.”

Riley said that cold weather shouldn’t be an excuse, according to the contract itself.

“In the contract, winter is specifically not allowed as an area for delay,” Riley said.

Lewis said that the state is not seeking the $2,600 daily penalty from Cardi. The delays, he said, were not entirely the company’s fault. But the state may still look for some kind of recompense from the Warwick contractor.

“We share the concerns. We have to hold our contractors accountable,” Lewis said.

The director was clearly hesitant to get into the finer points of the contract, and what the state could or could not get.

“When you get into issues of contract interpretation, it gets very Byzantine,” he said. “Where we feel we have a sound argument for their delays, we will hold them accountable.”

To seek damages from contractors at all for overdue contracts is a major shift for the state, which has not been known for going after contractors. Lewis, who took DOT’s top job early this year after leading Massachusetts’ Big Dig for years, said that the construction industry is still feeling out the state on its new approach.

“We’re pursuing a lot of contracts. The construction community is reacting to that,” Lewis said.

The state had budgeted $27 million for the pedestrian bridge, a new sewer pipe and restoration of the park, which includes the planting of 528 trees.

But in addition to saving the oak tree, there were changes to the bridge structure, to the supports and to the thickness of the concrete path.

Lewis said that despite the changes, the project still came in at $1 million under budget.

“It’s a very successful contract. It’s not like we’re going to be putting somebody in the stocks,” he said.

As part of the reinvention of the India Point Park area, more than $1 million in new landscaping and tree planting is planned for the next year. Fourteen signs will also be posted, explaining the history of the park, the Fox Point Neighborhood, the hurricane barrier, and more. But to this point, Riley said, there is no placard explaining the immigrant experience of Cape Verdeans, who were long the dominant group in the area.

“I know the Cape Verdeans are upset about this,” Riley said.

It’s probably possible to change or add to the signs to incorporate the Cape Verdeans’ history in the area, Lewis said.

This is a big month for the park. In addition to the bridge opening, artwork involving the park will be on display at Providence City Hall until Oct. 28 as part of an exhibit called “Park as muse: Artwork of India Point Park.”

A community parade and party celebrating the opening of the bridge is planned for Saturday, Oct. 18, from 1 to 4 p.m.

The other major issue in the India Point area is the fate of Shooters, the former nightspot that the state plans to sell to help pay for the highway project. A contract had been in place to demolish the building, but Lewis said it was recently canceled.

“The demolition was canceled because it was determined that the value of the parcel would be diminished if the building was not there,” Lewis said.

The state hopes to put out a bid request for the site by the end of the year, and expects that bids could come back within six months. That said, the state may hold off on putting the site up for sale until the real-estate market turns around, Lewis said.

dbarbari@projo.com