Duffy Signs Unfinished Grant to Replace Rhode Island Span
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a $220.9 million federal grant to Rhode Island to replace the Washington Bridge in Providence has been signed amid 3,200 incomplete agreements previously approved by the Biden administration.
Duffy hailed the finalization of a grant that DOT announced last fall as “part of our work to deliver real results” by enabling unleashing of money to fix “a critical link that carries thousands of vehicles a day.”
For more than a year, the westbound portion of the span that carries Interstate 195 has been closed because of the discovery during repairs of a critical failure of several critical components. Those include severed tie rods, failing post-tensioned concrete girders and poor concrete quality. These findings meant the bridge had to be completely replaced.
A freight and commuter connector, Washington Bridge consists of three structures over the Seekonk River that carry I-195 and U.S. routes 6, 44 and 1A linking cities to Providence.
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The bridge was built in 1930 as a bascule bridge — one that can be raised or lowered using weights or levers — linking Watchemoket Square in East Providence to the old Fox Point Boulevard in Providence. The original bridge was altered in 1968 and replaced by a twin-spanned bridge now closed to westbound traffic.
The bridge had carried five lanes of traffic connecting Rhode Island and southwest areas within eastern Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.
Gov. Dan McKee welcomed the finalization of the grant.
“With this signing, the $220 million in federal grant funding for the new Washington Bridge has been assured,” McKee said March 27. “This is another sign of continued progress in our work to build a modern, soundly constructed Washington Bridge that will outlast our lifetimes. I want to thank our congressional delegation for their continued support in securing this funding.”
The DOT grant will cover 60% of the total $368.3 million estimated project cost.
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“The state adopted a ‘belt and suspenders’ approach to funding, securing millions in Garvee bonds to support the project if needed,” according to the governor’s office.
Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles bonds are future federal-aid highway funds that allow states to pay debts and other bond-related expenses.
The funding will ensure the can continue working on the bridge replacement and review technical proposals before the contract award date scheduled by June 6. At that time, RIDOT plans to define a final project cost and construction schedule.
The bridge provided a vital transportation artery with an average of 17,000 truck crossings and 90,000 other vehicles per day before it closed in December 2023. Annual truck traffic had averaged of 6.2 million crossings.
At the end of March, RIDOT began bridge pier demolition as part of substructure removal. The deficient bridge’s superstructure already has been demolished.
“Everyone recognizes the importance of this project to the community and the need for safe, modern and resilient infrastructure,” said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). “This federal money is vital to completing this massive project that is already underway. This is a positive outcome, and I hope the state will accelerate progress toward a new bridge that meets capacity and safety needs now and in the future.”
Last week, we successfully completed demolition of the Washington Bridge's superstructure. Today is the official start of demolishing the bridge's substructure.
This represents another significant step forward in our work to deliver a new bridge that will outlast our lifetimes. — Governor Dan McKee (@GovDanMcKee)
On Dec. 9, then-Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg noted the Biden administration’s accomplishments in “rebuilding 18 of America’s most economically significant bridges,” including the Washington Bridge. The announcement coincided with the release of a 21-page report called “Investing in America: Rebuilding 18 of America’s Most Economically Significant Bridges” that also cited the Washington Bridge.
DOT has provided no information as of April 2 about whether any of the other bridges listed among the 18 remain unfunded due to unsigned federal grants.
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However, Duffy said, “Since coming into office, my team has discovered an unprecedented backlog of grants left over from the previous administration. This backlog … prevented real infrastructure from being built and funded. Under the Trump administration, we’ve ripped out this red tape and are getting back to what matters.”
Democrats and Republicans joined to help release the federal grant to Rhode Island.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) noted he worked with U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) “to help unstick this funding for the Washington Bridge replacement.”
“This relieves needless uncertainty in an urgent situation with this bridge, and I will continue to do everything in my power to secure what Rhode Island needs from the federal government and to keep investing in our infrastructure,” he said.
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