Rhode Island Washington Bridge Rebuild Nears $427M Completion 2028

Rhode Island officials have announced that the reconstruction of the westbound Washington Bridge will cost up to $427 million and is scheduled for completion by November 2028, marking a $59 million increase and a two-year delay from earlier estimates. Governor Dan McKee and Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti revealed that Walsh Construction Company of Chicago will undertake the project, drawing on its experience with similar bridge projects. The original bridge, which connects Providence and East Providence, was closed in December 2023 after engineers found broken anchor rods that posed a risk of collapse. The new design will feature five lanes, including new onramp and offramp connections, improving capacity from the original four lanes. Incentives of up to $10 million are in place for early completion, while penalties of up to $25,000 per day will apply for delays beyond the timeline. The state has also filed a lawsuit against 13 companies involved in the bridge's original construction and inspection due to the safety issues discovered.