State Officials Say Eastbound Washington Bridge Remains Safe

The latest inspection report was completed in November

Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Ian Donnis / The Public’s Radio
1 min read
Share
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Ian Donnis / The Public’s Radio
State Officials Say Eastbound Washington Bridge Remains Safe
Copy

State officials said Monday the eastbound Washington Bridge has not experienced any significant deterioration despite carrying twice the normal traffic since it was pressed into an expanded role last year.

The eastbound bridge was reconfigured to accommodate six lanes of traffic, three in each direction, after the westbound bridge was closed on an emergency basis in December 2023.

During a Statehouse news conference on Monday, Gov. Dan McKee said a monitoring report completed in November showed the need for what he described as routine “improvements, refreshes and minor repairs” to the eastbound bridge.

“It’s important to understand that none of the conditions we’re addressing in our maintenance affect the capacity of this bridge or its structural integrity to carry the six lanes we have on it,” said Peter Alviti, director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Alviti said the state has built redundancy into its assessment of the bridge and that reviewing it every six months is a standard set by the Federal Highway Administration.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Transit riders say moving the Kennedy Plaza bus hub is the last thing RIPTA should be focusing on while it still has a more than $30 million funding hole to fill
Rhode Island U.S. Rep. Magaziner says mass layoffs at agency are ‘outright dangerous’
Former Providence Journal sports writer will be honored during the NCAA Final Four
Approved two-year extension to pilot program revives past opposition
From a “Hot Printing” class to running a thriving graphic design company, a Providence couple’s passion for design and their cultural roots have shaped their creative journey together