Home Economy General Assembly leaders to put witnesses under oath at Washington Bridge oversight...

General Assembly leaders to put witnesses under oath at Washington Bridge oversight hearing next month

By

Christopher Allen

-

10/03/2025

Wash-Bridge — HOUSE SPEAKER K. JOSEPH SHEKARCHI AND SENATE PRESIDENT VALARIE J. LAWSON said Friday that the House and Senate Oversight Committees will hold hearings in November on the closure of the Washington Bridge. / PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

PROVIDENCE – House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie J. Lawson said a joint hearing on the 2023 failure of the Washington Bridge conducted by the House and Senate Oversight Committee in November will include placing witnesses under oath. On Friday, the General Assembly leaders said they had consulted with and received approval

Already a Subscriber? Log in

To Continue Reading This Article

Become a Providence Business News subscriber and get immediate access to all of our premier content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Critical RI business news and analysis updated daily.
1 year of print (26 issues).
Unlimited access to all subscriber only content on our website, on any device.
Free email alerts.
Annual Book of Lists Print Edition.
All special issues produced during subscription term.

Click Here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article

PBN Branded Content

GYN Health Through the Years: Why Open Conversations Matter at Every Stage of Life

Women’s health is not static. It evolves with us—through our teens, childbearing years, midlife, menopause,…

Learn More

No posts to display

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

PROVIDENCE – House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie J. Lawson said a joint hearing on the 2023 failure of the Washington Bridge conducted by the House and Senate Oversight Committee in November will include placing witnesses under oath. On Friday, the General Assembly leaders said they had consulted with and received approval from R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha, whose office publicly released a draft forensic audit last week that attributes responsibility for the bridge's failure to the state. In a joint press release Shekarchi and Lawson said they are working to finalize the hearing schedule and format, which they vowed will include sworn testimonies from state officials and other witnesses. The General Assembly in February conducted an oversight hearing where R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. defended the agency's management of the bridge's shutdown and its ongoing maintenance oversight. Gov Daniel J. McKee called for further hearings but said per the advice of counsel to protect the state’s legal stance against the vendors the administration claims were ultimately responsible for the bridge's maintenance, RIDOT employees would not respond to questions from the committee. In response, Shekarchi and Lawson said "We contest the Governor’s position” and “look forward to a thorough and rigorous examination of the new information." In a statement, Neronha said despite seeking financial damages from thirteen contractor companies for alleged negligent behavior, “that doesn’t mean those in state leadership charged with maintaining our roads and bridges get a free pass.” ”We must know the full truth, and these hearings can absolutely provide helpful insight,” he said. Requests to McKee’s office Friday were not immediately returned. In his Oct. 1 letter, McKee urged that any future hearings held before the conclusion of the civil trial” not include testimony from state employees, “as was the protocol” during the first oversight hearing. Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.