Home Economy Government U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg tours Washington Bridge damage

U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg tours Washington Bridge damage

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PBN Staff

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03/19/2024

U.S. TRANSPORTATION Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Gov. Daniel J McKee, East Providence Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva and other leaders Tuesday to tour the damage that forced the closure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge on Dec. 11. / PBN FILE PHOTO/WILLIAM HAMILTON

PROVIDENCE – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday said replacing the Washington Bridge needs to be a swift process although he acknowledged that the goal of complete reconstruction by 2026 is “an aggressive estimate.” Buttigieg joined Gov. Daniel J. McKee, East Providence Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva and other leaders Tuesday morning to tour the

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PROVIDENCE – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday said replacing the Washington Bridge needs to be a swift process although he acknowledged that the goal of complete reconstruction by 2026 is "an aggressive estimate." Buttigieg joined Gov. Daniel J. McKee, East Providence Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva and other leaders Tuesday morning to tour the damage that forced the closure of the westbound side of the bridge on Dec. 11. The transportation secretary then attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the start of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Improvement Project. “We have been able to demonstrate while working around the country in different situations, like what happened on I-95 in Pennsylvania or I-10 in L.A., when there is that kind of time pressure, we can clear any bureaucratic hurdles so it can be driven by the timeline and be safely done,” Buttigieg said. “Only thing more important than getting this done quickly is getting it done safely." Buttigieg said the goal of rebuilding the bridge by 2026 was an “aggressive estimate,” and he stopped short of committing to the time frame. “We are going to be working with [the R.I. Department of Transportation] to make sure they have technical support from our Federal Highway Administration and help with the plan going forward to make sure there’s financing that is needed,” Buttigieg said. The preliminary cost estimate ranges between $250 million and $300 million, according to an analysis by Colorado-based McNary, Bergeron & Johannesen, a structural engineering firm that specializes in design and construction engineering for bridge projects. Demolition is scheduled to begin in July. The state will be on the hook for 20% of the replacement cost, while the federal government will cover the rest, although state officials said they continue to pursue additional funding sources, as well as potential legal avenues to recoup losses for any negligence in previous bridge work. Buttigieg defended giving the state more federal dollars for the Washington Bridge Tuesday when asked if he was confident it would not be a waste of money, even though it has already cost millions to repair. “I disagree that spending money to repair a bridge is a waste of money, and I would note, that if that repair project were not undertaken, the inspections that caught this potentially deadly flaw would not have happened, and there is a very real risk that residents would have found out through a collapse when instead it was found out through an inspection,” Buttigieg said. "We're always working to make sure that federal dollars are used to both repair what can be repaired and to replace what must be replaced.” Buttigieg added that $1.5 billion has come to Rhode Island already through the bipartisan infrastructure bill. “Some of those funds are being repurposed because what was originally scoped as being part of a rehabilitation is now more urgently needed for a deconstruction and reconstruction,” Buttigieg said. “Our goal is to make sure that we meet all the requirements how tax dollars are used, which is a rigorous standard without allowing that turning into red tape that could slow that project down.” Several engineering reports and agency inspections examining the bridge’s condition have been launched since the closure of the bridge’s westbound lanes on Dec. 11 after an engineer uncovered a critical failure of steel anchor rods that hold the major beams in place. They were components that date back to the 1960s when the bridge first opened. The bridge is part of Interstate 195 running into and out of Providence over the Seekonk River. Closure of the westbound bridge lanes led to several days of traffic snarls, which were eased, but not eliminated, after a partial reopening of 195 west on the eastbound side of the bridge on Dec. 15. The R.I. Department of Transportation announced on Feb. 21 that it plans to expand the Washington Bridge to six lanes, three in each direction, to help alleviate some of the congestion on 195 created by bridge restrictions. R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. said work to create the new traffic pattern is expected to be completed within eight weeks.