Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee marked the one-year anniversary of the emergency closing of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge by announcing two finalists to replace the structure and by asserting that things are going in the right direction after some initial missteps.
“It has been a difficult year for everyone impacted by the closure,” McKee said Tuesday, a day ahead of the anniversary, during a Statehouse news conference. “I know that, and I’m sorry we’ve had to go through this, but it was necessary. Like you, I certainly wish I had known sooner than December 11th that the bridge had serious issues.”
While it was not known until March 14 that the westbound Washington Bridge was beyond repair, McKee said, “Our goal has remained clear: build a new bridge, build it safely and build it right.”
The governor identified the finalists as the Walsh Group of Chicago and a joint venture between American Bridge Company of Pennsylvania and MLJ Contracting Corp. of New York. Plans call for the finalist to be selected in June.
McKee said American Bridge is considered the fifth-largest bridge builder in the U.S., while the Walsh Group is deemed the largest bridge builder in the world.
The emergency closing of the westbound Washington Bridge last December snarled traffic, angered motorists and cut the number of customers going to some businesses in Providence and East Providence.
Earlier estimates from the state predicted the situation would be resolved in 90 days, and later, by some time in 2026. The process slowed as the state’s initial request for proposals failed to draw any response.
Over time, as three replacement lanes were added to carry westbound traffic on the eastbound Washington Bridge, congestion declined significantly, although eastbound traffic still backs up at various times.
McKee said demolition of the superstructure of the westbound Washington Bridge is on track to be completed this winter, with demolition of the substructure also started to get under way.
But it is not yet known when the new westbound Washington Bridge will be completed — or how much it will cost.
McKee noted how Rhode Island has received two federal grants adding up to more than $200 million to pay for construction, and he said the state has other funds to draw upon if needed.
The governor also touted efforts to aid small businesses affected by the bridge closing, and East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva, an ally of McKee, appeared at the news conference to say business has returned to the level it was at before the bridge closing.
McKee described a lawsuit against a number of state contractors as the best way to get accountability for the problems leading to the abrupt emergency closing of the westbound bridge last December.
Peter Alviti, director of the state Department of Transportation, said no one has been fired at DOT as a result of what happened.
The eastbound Washington Bridge should remain viable, with proper maintenance, for another 75 years, Alviti said. Nonetheless, with the eastbound side now shouldering two-way traffic through the use of replacement lanes, officials say they are putting in place systems to monitor the weight of the traffic and the stability of the bridge itself.
