The closure of the Washington Bridge has impacted the commute for the second day in a row as there has been gridlock as people try to find alternate routes, according to WJAR.
It took more than an hour for commuters to get to Providence, according to reports.
Due to the traffic, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said municipalities will be financially reimbursed for costs related to the closed bridge, WJAR reports.
“We are going to roll the extra costs communities are having into the cost of construction,” McKee said to WJAR.
The Washington Bridge carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to the state's largest city. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said Monday evening that a “critical failure of some original 1960s bridge components” was located in the bridge.
The delays are so bad that the Rhode Island Department of Public Health recommended Wednesday that ambulances be used by pregnant women in the East Bay who are in labor and need to get to a medical facility west of the Washington Bridge immediately.
"This recommendation is being made because of current traffic disruptions on the Washington Bridge. Currently, emergency vehicles (including ambulances) can travel westbound on the bridge. Personal vehicles are not currently permitted to travel westbound on the Washington Bridge," the health department said in a statement.
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The repair work could take three months or more. All westbound lanes will be closed and traffic diverted at first, the agency said.
RIDOT said it will redirect traffic to two lanes on the eastbound side in the next two to three weeks.
The closures brought major traffic delays to the Providence area on Tuesday. The bridge carries close to 100,000 vehicles every day.
