PROVIDENCE – The demolition of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge has resumed Tuesday, but state officials pushed back the reconstruction timeline by months, saying a contract should be awarded in June of next year.
At a news briefing on Tuesday morning, Gov. Daniel J. McKee wouldn't give a tentative date when the bridge project would be complete, at least not until the state is further along in selecting a company to rebuild the span that carries the westbound lanes of Interstate 195 from East Providence to Providence.
McKee on Tuesday announced the release of a request for qualifications through its public bidding portal. It's the first step in the lengthy process of selecting a bridge builder for the vital project that is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Responses to the request are due by Nov. 26 and will include technical proposals, design schemes, cost estimates and completion timelines.
This will be followed by a new request for proposals available to "a narrowed pool" of companies – perhaps as few as two – that will be selected in December to submit final proposals.
The winning company is expected to be chosen in June 2025 and begin work in July.
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.
Now that date remains uncertain. When pressed Tuesday, McKee declined to commit to the possibility a completed bridge could be opened in 2026, adding that more information on timelines should be available in December.
“We'll have a better idea of the time frame at that point in time," he said.
Demolition to the westbound side span began in September but was halted to preserve evidence for the state’s ongoing legal actions against a handful of private companies who had previously worked on the bridge. McKee said legal advisers had recommended the state stop work “with the understanding it would help the case and that it would be temporary.”
Included in the request for qualifications issued Tuesday is a $1.25 million stipend that will be available to the shortlisted finalist that is not subsequently selected for the contract. R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti said this is up from the $500,000 available in the original RFP and that it was general practice in the government procurement process for public infrastructure.
“We think it leads to better competition,” he said, adding that the costs for a contractor to formulate a bid for this type of project will far exceed the stipend. “We are just reimbursing them a portion of what it costs," he said.
RIDOT is also seeking a change order for its $45.8 million contract with Aetna Bridge Co. that was awarded in June to demolish the westbound side.
The change order would push the completion date of the demolition from January to December 2025 as the scope of work now includes removing the bridge substructure, including the pilings in the Seekonk River. That was not part of the original demolition plan, and McKee said the state didn't immediately know the additional cost.
Alviti said the state's recent request for information for the bridge reconstruction project resulted in feedback from 10 multinational bridge-building companies. And this new procurement process will ensure “robust competition” and “provide Rhode Island with the best bridge, the best price [and] the best schedule.”
“We are now ready to get back to work,” he said, while acknowledging the recent community meeting on Oct. 11 to inform the public about what is happening “didn't go as intended."
McKee said he will manage a follow-up virtual public meeting along with RIDOT at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17. State officials said Nighttime demolition that involves louder work such as jackhammering will not begin until Sunday, after the meeting.
“We need to do a better job communicating of what is actually going on,” McKee said.
(Updated at 1:05 p.m. to include information about the contract change order for the demolition of the Washington Bridge.)
Chris Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
