Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee announced March 14 that the I-195 Washington Bridge’s westbound structure, closed since December 11 and one of the busiest in the state, is beyond repair and will have to be demolished and replaced.
The state Department of Transportation closed the bridge after discovering a “critical failure” December 8 of the East Providence bridge’s tie-down rods. Opened in 1968, the span handled 96,000 vehicles a day.
In a news conference March 14, McKee said the bridge’s problems go beyond the tie-down rods. An engineering report determined that the bridge has “additional structural deficiencies that cannot viably be repaired,” McKee said.
“For that reason, we must replace the superstructure and part or all of the substructure.” That includes the deck, girders, piers and foundations.
Work had already begun on a $78 million rehab of the westbound bridge when the structural failures were discovered, leading to its emergency closing.
An engineering report estimates a replacement bridge would cost $250 million to $300 million and would take up to two years to complete. Demolition could begin this summer. The state is asking the federal government to kick in 80% of the cost.
