Home Economy Government McKee releases new RFP for Washington Bridge rebuild

McKee releases new RFP for Washington Bridge rebuild

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PBN Staff

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12/18/2024

HAeNNFUo-bF1O76wI-washbridgepic-696x385-1-1 — A NEW INITIAL request for proposals for the rebuild the westbound side of the Washington Bridge is now live, Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced Wednesday. / PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

PROVIDENCE – A new request for proposals for the rebuild of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge is now live, Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced Wednesday. The initial request includes changes to produce strong, well-defined proposals with innovative solutions for building the new Washington Bridge. The final request for proposals will be issued on

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PROVIDENCE – A new request for proposals for the rebuild of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge is now live, Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced Wednesday. The initial request includes changes to produce strong, well-defined proposals with innovative solutions for building the new Washington Bridge. The final request for proposals will be issued on Jan. 24. The final request will be submitted to the two finalists competing for the bridge project, Walsh Construction Co. II LLC and a joint application submitted by American Bridge and MLJ Contracting Corp. "Rhode Island remains committed to building a new Washington Bridge that has a state-of-the-art design, improves traffic flow and, most importantly, is built in a way where we can easily and comprehensively monitor its health over its long lifespan,” McKee said. "The state looks forward to seeing the innovative proposals from the two highly qualified design-build teams competing for this project." The new initial request for proposals encourages the use of accelerated bridge construction methods to replace the bridge and open travel lanes to the public as quickly as possible. It includes requirements such as carrying five through lanes over the bridge and constructing a new on-ramp to Interstate 195 West from Gano Street and an off-ramp from I-195 West to Waterfront Drive. The project also includes paving, repair, and replacement of drainage structures and removal of the crossover traffic pattern as lanes are built and opened on the new bridge. The new initial request for proposals provides incentives up to a maximum of $10 million based on per-day rates – ranging from $5,000 per day to $70,000 per day – for opening lanes to traffic in advance of the substantial completion date as determined by the winning design-build team. The more lanes opened for both eastbound and westbound traffic, the higher per-day rate the selected design-build team can earn. The new initial request for proposals also includes 15 milestones for the project procurement. Highlights include:

Dec. 18, 2024: Issuance of the initial RFP
Jan. 24, 2025: Issuance of the final RFP
Late Jan. 2025 – Early April 2025: Review of alternative technical concepts from each design-build team.
May 16, 2025: Technical proposals due
May 30, 2025: Price proposals due
June 6, 2025: Tentative award
July 15, 2025: Notice to proceed given to begin work.

The governor’s office also stated the R.I. Department of Transportation remains on track to issue a tentative award to the winning design-build team in early June 2025 and a notice to proceed with work by mid-July 2025. Once the winning company is notified, they will begin work immediately. State officials had initially set an aggressive timeline for rebuilding the westbound side of the bridge, hoping to have it rebuilt and open by 2026. However, that date remains uncertain. The state received zero bids for the bridge project in July following an earlier request for proposals. On June 28, Aetna Bridge Co. was awarded a $45.8 million contract by the state to demolish the westbound side of the bridge. That work is expected to be completed by Feb. 21. The abrupt closure in December of the Washington Bridge’s westbound side, 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 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. In May, the R.I. Department of Transportation estimated the cost for replacing the bridge would include $58.2 million for demolition, as well as $368.3 million for the design-build process. Separate from the demolition and rebuild costs for the Washington Bridge, the state also estimated costs of approximately $46 million for emergency expenses, including work to stabilize the old bridge and estimated funding to account for both state and municipal safety and transportation-related expenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $95.6 million grant for the Washington Bridge rebuild.