Audit Spurs Rhode Island Oversight Hearings

A 64-page forensic audit by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates completed in April 2024 found decades of neglect, shoddy work, ignored warnings and maintenance failures that left the westbound Washington Bridge in peril and concluded state managers, inspectors and designers should have been aware of developing problems. Governor Dan McKee says he withheld the audit for about a year and a half on lawyers' advice to avoid jeopardizing the state's lawsuit against about 13 contractors, but the attorney general’s office has since released the audit and it has circulated publicly. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson have directed joint oversight hearings and plan to meet Oct. 2 to set the schedule and format, and they said they may require state officials, including RIDOT leaders, to testify under oath. McKee urged the hearings while reiterating the need to protect confidential litigation strategy and warned that testimony could risk the state's case, though he welcomed participation. The westbound span was abruptly closed in December 2023 and has been demolished, with reconstruction expected to finish in late/November 2028. Demolition and rebuild costs exceed $500 million.