Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced Friday that the state is suing 13 companies that worked on the Washington Bridge, in an effort “to hold accountable those companies responsible for the near-miss catastrophic closure of the bridge and to recover the significant resources required to rebuild the bridge and compensate the state.”
In a statement, Neronha said a complaint in Providence Superior Court alleges that the companies failed in a timely way to adequately identify worsening structural issues that led to the emergency closing of the bridge last December.
The lawsuit includes claims of breach of contract, fiduciary duty and negligence, with claims varying against the defendants.
The companies targeted in the lawsuit are as follows: AECOM Technical Services, Inc.; Aetna Bridge Company; Aries Support Services, Inc.; Barletta Heavy Division, Inc.; Barletta/Aetna I-195 Washington Bridge North Phase 2 JV; Collins Engineers, Inc.; Commonwealth Engineers Consultants, Inc.; Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.; Michael Baker International, Inc.; Prime AE Group, Inc.; Steere Engineering, Inc.; Transystems Corporation; and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
The 44-page lawsuit alleges that a series of failures over many years resulted in the need to close the bridge on an emergency basis.
Neronha worked to bring the case with two outside lawyers, Max Wistow and Jonathan Savage, who were hired by Gov. Dan McKee.
In March, McKee pledged to deliver a day of accountability — and he said that moment has come.
“As promised, the state is pursuing accountability from all responsible parties who we assert have contributed to the current situation with the Washington Bridge,” McKee said in a statement. “I am pleased that the Attorney General and Attorneys Max Wistow and Jon Savage have delivered a strong case, and I look forward to an outcome that will benefit Rhode Island taxpayers.”
The closing of the bridge and the state’s attempts to address it caused prolonged traffic problems. The situation has improved since the weeks after the emergency closing last year, but westbound traffic on I-195 still backs up with regularity, sometimes causing a ripple effect in parts of Providence.
“The emergency closure of the Washington Bridge and subsequent mitigation efforts have strained our state,” Neronha said. “In the nearly nine months since the abrupt closure, our economy has borne an immense cost, and our state has and will continue to have to expend significant resources as a result. Today’s lawsuit seeks to hold accountable those responsible and recover the maximum amount possible for the State. Litigation is a long road and today marks the first step on that road. We are committed to working with our partners to secure as much relief for the state as we can.”
An initial request for proposals by the state to build a replacement bridge failed to attract any bids. The state conducted a request for information recently in an attempt to move forward.
Replacing the bridge will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and doing that is expected to extend through the 2026 race for governor.
Some of the companies being sued, including Aetna Bridge Co. — which won the bid to demolish the bridge — still do work for the state.
In a statement, company spokesman Frank McMahon said, “Aetna Bridge Company is a third generation Rhode Island family business and we are proud of our more than 75-year history of bridge construction and repair work in our state. We are aware of litigation filed today related to the failure of the Washington Bridge. We stand behind the quality of all our past work and the work we will perform in the future. We will vigorously defend ourselves against any claims made in this lawsuit.”
