With the demolition and replacement cost for the westbound Washington Bridge rising to more than $400 million, Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers staged a news conference Tuesday to sharply criticize how a string of Democratic leaders have handled the situation. The administration of Gov. Dan McKee disclosed the $400 million figure on Monday – […]
Peter Alviti
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk, Transportation
Washington Bridge westbound must be demolished and undergo years-long rebuild
The state of Rhode Island plans to demolish and completely rebuild the westbound side of the Washington Bridge, a project officials expect to take two years or more. “We will be replacing the bridge,” Gov. Dan McKee said at a news conference Thursday. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation closed the westbound span, which carries […]
Posted inLocal, Politics, TGIF
Ian Donnis’ Rhode Island politics roundup for Feb. 16, 2024
The more chocolate that can be worked into legislative publicity efforts, the better, I say. You can follow me through the week on threads and what we used to call the twitters. Here we go. *** Want to get my column in your inbox every Friday? Just sign up right here. *** STORY OF THE […]
Posted inArticle, Local, Politics
Lawmakers vent frustration over Washington Bridge
The meeting at the Statehouse gave legislators an opportunity to share the frustration of constituents dealing with traffic congestion and longer commutes, even if the central question about the bridge crisis still remains unanswered for now. “How could this become so critical, so quickly?” asked state Rep. Julie Casimiro (D-North Kingstown), referring to how the […]
Posted inLocal, Metro Desk
Officials assessing Washington Bridge to determine if full rebuild is necessary
More than a month after the westbound side of the Washington Bridge was abruptly closed to traffic, officials were still determining if the bridge could be repaired or must be completely rebuilt, Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti said Monday during a press conference. “It could be a repair of the existing structure, […]