Home Economy Government Demolition of Washington Bridge to begin Sept. 8

Demolition of Washington Bridge to begin Sept. 8

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PBN Staff

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09/06/2024

Washington Bridge traffic — DEMOLITION OF THE Washington Bridge will begin Sept. 8, the R.I. Department of Transportation announced. / PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

PROVIDENCE – Demolition of the Washington Bridge will begin Sept. 8, the R.I. Department of Transportation announced Friday. Bridge and beam demolition will force evening closures of Gano Street from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Sept. 8-12 where it passes under Interstate 195. During the closures, RIDOT will perform overhead demolition of bridge parapets

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PROVIDENCE – Demolition of the Washington Bridge will begin Sept. 8, the R.I. Department of Transportation announced Friday. Bridge and beam demolition will force evening closures of Gano Street from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Sept. 8-12 where it passes under Interstate 195. During the closures, RIDOT will perform overhead demolition of bridge parapets and the concrete deck. Drivers will be detoured to India Street, Wickenden Street, and South Main and South Water streets. The on-ramp to Interstate 195 West at Gano Street will remain open. Demolition of the eastern side of the bridge is expected to begin next week. No traffic impacts are expected at the eastern end next week, RIDOT said, however a one-week closure of Waterfront Drive will be scheduled in mid- to late September and announced ahead of time. The abrupt closure of the bridge’s westbound side in December, which connects I-195 from Rhode Island’s East Bay to Providence, has disrupted traffic and businesses. In March, the state announced that the westbound side needed to be replaced, with Gov. Daniel J. McKee proclaiming that a “day of reckoning” will come to hold those responsible for allowing the bridge to deteriorate to the point of near failure. On Aug. 16, the state filed a lawsuit against 13 companies that provided design, construction and inspection services for the Washington Bridge, which suddenly closed in December wreaking havoc on local businesses and communities. The defendants in the lawsuit include: AECOM Technical Services Inc.; Aetna Bridge Co.; Aries Support Services Inc.; Barletta Heavy Division Inc.; Barletta/Aetna I-195 Washington Bridge North Phase 2 JV; Collins Engineers Inc.: Commonwealth Engineers Consultants Inc.; Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.; Michael Baker International Inc.; Prime AE Group Inc.; Steere Engineering Inc.; Transystems Corp.; and Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. The complaint, filed in Providence County Superior Court by R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, alleges the companies failed to “timely and adequately” identify the bridge’s worsening structural problems that ultimately led to its unexpected closure in December 2023. According to the state, there were “multiple failures over multiple years” that ultimately brought it to the R.I. Department of Transportation’s attention. The complaint brings claims of breach of contract, fiduciary duty and negligence against the companies, with the claims varying among the defendants.