The Thane Muncipal Corporation’s problems over the Thane-Kopri Bridge, a girder of which collapsed on a local train last month claiming three lives, have grown with the consultant deciding to quit and the contractor not communicating with the civic body since the episode.

RITES, the consultant, expressed its desire to quit even before TMC could complain about its non-performance. Without a consultant, the TMC’s task of completing the road overbridge is now even more difficult. RITES was appointed by the TMC as a consultant in 2002 on the insistence of Central Railway. Though the TMC was not happy with the performance of RITES and the delay in completion, they continued with the agency for the sake of the railways, said officials at TMC.

Since 2002 the Central Railway has allotted 56 blocks (periods when no train services are run on a section) with each block spanning an hour or less. The project, which needs at least 18 months for completion, has seen merely 56 hours of work.

Contractor Ajaipal Mangal and Company has not been in touch since the contractor was booked in an FIR and held responsible for the mishap that resulted in the death of three and injuries to a dozen others.

Meanwhile, the railways has suggested certain modifications to the plan of the unfinished bridge. The railways has suggested that concrete girders be replaced by steel beams and that this be done by removing the existing three beams.