State transportation officials are urging Ray Council Commissioners to reverse the $7,500 penalty to contractors of the Morton Bridge project, to which local leaders are raising deeper questions about the project’s execution, communication breakdowns and longterm accountability. The issue centers on Project No. BRO-B089(32), the replacement of Morton Bridge No. 25700161 on County Road 235 and Landing Road. During a recent session, Shannon Howe of Howe Company LLC and representatives from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) appeared before the commission to dispute the county’s decision to deduct $7,500 from the final contractor payment over pockmarks and surface blemishes on the newly poured bridge deck. “The deck is not perfect, but it’s finished in a manner that’s consistent with a lot of other projects that get paid at full amounts,” said Howe. “I think you got a good overall product at the end.” MoDOT District Construction and Materials Engineer Rich Shipley, who…