Late in the day on Dec. 11, state officials announced the sudden closure of westbound lanes on the Washington Bridge due to safety concerns.
Engineers working on a $78 million bridge reconstruction project a few days earlier discovered faulty components, including the failure of steel anchor pins that hold major beams of the bridge in place.
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The partial shutdown led to gridlock on Interstate 195 and in parts of East Providence and Providence, with some commuters stuck in traffic for hours.
Traffic is expected to flow better with the limited reopening of two-way traffic across the bridge but won’t return to normal for up to three months, until the faulty parts are replaced, according to state officials.
Gov. Daniel J. McKee has said state transportation officials should not be blamed for the sudden shutdown and deserve credit for quickly responding to the crisis.
Absolutely not, they never should have placed us in this situation in the first place.