The structural deterioration that forced the December 2023 partial closure of Providence, R.I.’s Washington Bridge is more severe than originally thought, according to state transportation officials, necessitating the demolition and replacement of the stretch of 56 years in the west direction.
According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, a team of engineering firms conducted an in-depth inspection of the 1,671-foot-long Seekonk River crossing and was reviewed by McNary, Bergeron & Johannesen, a bridge construction firm. of third parties
Finding no viable way to repair the bridge, the review concluded, “the superstructure (deck and girders) and some or all of the substructure (piers and foundations) must be replaced to meet current design code requirements and provide a bridge with a 100 – year life cycle.” Demolition and replacement will cost up to $300 million, the review adds.
RIDOT officials are currently working to identify funding sources, including federal grants, with the goal of awarding a design-build contract by the end of July. A new bridge could be substantially complete by September 2026, the agency says.
Meanwhile, the existing eastbound structure, opened in 1930 and rebuilt in 2008, will carry three lanes of I-195 traffic in each direction. Under normal conditions, the crossing handles nearly 100,000 vehicles a day.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the bridge on March 19 and pledged to work with the state to make sure it has “everything they need … whether we’re talking about the dimensions techniques, like if we’re talking about the funding that’s needed. or breaking down administrative barriers with all the parties on the ground here.”
The partial closure came as the westbound structure was nearly halfway through a five-year, $78 million design-build reconstruction effort, the joint venture of Barletta Heavy Division and Aetna Bridge Company, with VHB as lead designer. The Dec. 8 discovery of an apparent failure of a 2-foot-long steel anchor rod in a section of the bridge that was not part of the reconstruction work spurred a more intensive inspection that revealed other deficiencies . RIDOT initially projected that repairing the problems would take three months.
“The inspection that found this problem saved lives so it could be fixed through construction, instead of something bad happening,” Buttigieg said during his visit.
Although RIDOT has not yet determined the cause of the deterioration, the state Department of Justice has launched an independent investigation into the need for the sudden shutdown of the bridge. Gov. Dan McKee (D) pledged to hold those responsible for the state of the bridge accountable.
“The day of accountability is coming,” McKee told reporters on March 18. “And it will come soon.”
