State Officials Say Eastbound Washington Bridge Remains Safe

The latest inspection report was completed in November

Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Ian Donnis / The Public’s Radio
Share
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Gov. McKee, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and McKee adviser T. Joseph Almond.
Ian Donnis / The Public’s Radio
State Officials Say Eastbound Washington Bridge Remains Safe
Copy

State officials said Monday the eastbound Washington Bridge has not experienced any significant deterioration despite carrying twice the normal traffic since it was pressed into an expanded role last year.

The eastbound bridge was reconfigured to accommodate six lanes of traffic, three in each direction, after the westbound bridge was closed on an emergency basis in December 2023.

During a Statehouse news conference on Monday, Gov. Dan McKee said a monitoring report completed in November showed the need for what he described as routine “improvements, refreshes and minor repairs” to the eastbound bridge.

“It’s important to understand that none of the conditions we’re addressing in our maintenance affect the capacity of this bridge or its structural integrity to carry the six lanes we have on it,” said Peter Alviti, director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Alviti said the state has built redundancy into its assessment of the bridge and that reviewing it every six months is a standard set by the Federal Highway Administration.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Massachusetts lawmakers are considering new legislation filed in response to an investigative series by The Public’s Radio that chronicled the lives of child laborers in New Bedford, the nation’s highest-grossing fishing port
On July 5, thousands of Cape Verdeans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the West African country’s independence. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with two people from the region who will be honored at a national celebration in Washington, D.C.
This is the eighth year Ocean State Media has awarded a college scholarship worth up to $60,000 over four years
Once thought lost to history, the powerful handwritten declaration by New England Baptist clergy resurfaces—shedding new light on religious resistance to slavery and a pivotal moment in the church’s past