The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday plans to introduce a new traffic pattern to improve travel times over the Washington Bridge in Providence.
State transportation officials say they plan to add one new eastbound and one new westbound lane in eight weeks. That will bring the total number of lanes from four to six, with three lanes in both directions. Rhode Island Department of Transportation director, Peter Alviti, made the announcement at a news conference with Gov. Dan McKee.
“We see this as a very positive step forward. We’re doing it as part of our own ongoing effort to make things better for people,” he said.
Alviti said the timeline for the new bridge could be slowed by a few variables.
“Weather could impact the timeframe and temperature,” he said. “It may be supply chain issues that create some variance in that timeframe.”
The lanes are meant to be temporary while the state looks for a permanent solution to address the structural deficiencies found in the westbound side of the bridge late last year.
Alviti says he expects to know by the beginning of next month if the westbound side of the Washington Bridge will need to be rebuilt or just repaired. Joseph Almond, a senior staffer to Governor McKee, said the public will know when DOT has a permanent plan in place to fix the bridge.
“We’re gonna continue to keep you updated when DOT’s plans to address the bridge issue are confirmed,” he said.
Speaking to frustrations people have had about traffic over the Washington Bridge since the westbound closure on December 11, 2023, Alviti and Mckee said traffic has improved, and that this will make it better.
“It certainly will improve travel time. We continue to keep the information flowing to people so that they can kind of plan their schedules,” said McKee.