It's too expensive to build a new Washington Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island, so why not go under it?
The chairman of the Narragansett Bay Commission is making this bold proposal, according to NBC affiliate WJAR. The agency serves as a watch dog for environmental impact in that area.
The chairman, Vincent Mesolella, is suggesting converting what's left of an ongoing project, which involves the construction of tunnels under the Seekonk River to redirect storm water to a treatment plant, so it doesn't directly dump into the Narragansett Bay.
However, the director of the Department of Transportation expressed some concerns.
"We would have to seriously have to access all of the impacts, not the least of which our recent tunnel experience here in New England with the Big Dig in Boston, does not provide a lot of confidence in going in that direction," said Peter Alviti.
The Bib Dig project brought part of Interstate 90 in Boston underground and opened up more of the city. But the work took decades to complete, faced several setbacks and was the most expensive public works project in the United States.
