Democratic Statehouse leaders say they will schedule legislative hearings on Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration’s handling of the Washington Bridge shutdown in 2023.
The General Assembly held an oversight hearing in February during which R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. defended the agency’s handling of the shutdown and yearslong supervision of bridge maintenance.
A 2024 draft audit first released publicly last month by the R.I. Office of Attorney General blamed the bridge’s deterioration on several factors, including years of neglect and flawed oversight.
House and Senate leaders responded by saying they planned to hold more legislative hearings. And McKee supports the idea.
He has said he did not publicly release the draft audit to avoid jeopardizing the state’s legal case against vendors responsible for bridge maintenance.
