Washington Bridge rebuild set for 2028, cost to reach $427 million

07 Jun 2025 09:38

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Washington Bridge rebuild set for 2028, cost to reach $427 million

Photo: Walsh Group

The long-awaited details for the reconstruction of the westbound Washington Bridge have been released, with Rhode Island officials announcing a projected cost of up to $427 million and a target completion date of November 2028.

Governor Dan McKee shared the update during a press conference at the State House on Friday, June 6, 2025, alongside Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. and Walsh Construction Program Manager Charles Parish, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The updated plan marks a $59 million increase over earlier estimates and sets a timeline that extends the project by two more years. The bridge serves as a vital link between Providence and East Providence.

The long-awaited news comes nearly a year-and-a-half after state officials halted all traffic on the westbound highway after engineers discovered broken anchor rods that put the bridge spanning the Seekonk River at risk of collapse.

State officials originally sought to rebuild the bridge by August 2026 at an estimated cost of $368 million.

“I understand that this has been a challenging time for those who rely on the Washington Bridge, especially in the early days before we were able to restore six lanes of traffic,” McKee said. “We owe it to you to deliver a bridge that is safe and will ultimately make your lives easier.”

Tasked with constructing the new bridge is Walsh Construction Company. The Chicago-based firm worked on the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge on Interstate 95 over the Quinnipiac River in New Haven, Connecticut, along with the Interstate 90 Westbound Innerbelt Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio.

For this project, the firm will draw from its design of the Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis, Walsh Program Manager Charles Parish told reporters.

“It’s not often that you get to build the same project twice, or the same bridge twice,” Parish said. “But our ability to do that on the new Washington Bridge gave us the confidence to commit to both the price and schedule that we’re sure we can meet.”

The state’s plan calls for five lanes of travel over the new bridge, along with an onramp from Gano Street in Providence and a new offramp to Waterfront Drive in East Providence. The original bridge had four lanes.

Construction is scheduled to begin next month, which overlaps with the ongoing demolition of the existing bridge. Demolition contractor Aetna Bridge Company is expected to complete its work by the end of 2025.

During that time, Walsh will secure permitting, workers, and pre-fabricate material to rebuild the bridge, Parish said.

Walsh will be paid at least $339 million to build the new bridge, with incentives and contingencies that could bring the total cost up to $427 million. The deal also has built-in daily penalties of $25,000 for exceeding the project deadline. With demolition and emergency repairs, the entire project adds up to $570 million, which is “well within what we budget,” McKee said.

News.Az