The state of Rhode Island has issued a request for proposals to reconstruct the Washington Bridge, a project that will expand the bridge to five lanes of traffic and add new on and off ramps.
The bridge takes Interstate 195 across the Seekonk River, connecting Rhode Island with Massachusetts, and is a major artery in the region.
Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation provided the update Wednesday when they announced the RFP. The new plan will have a bridge carrying five lanes of traffic over the river, with a new on-ramp from Gano Street and a new off-ramp to Waterfront Drive in East Providence, WJAR-TV reports.
The state has already selected Walsh Construction Company to compete against a joint venture of American Bridge Company and MLJ Contracting for the project. The companies were selected through a request for qualifications process. A final selection between the two is expected in June 2025, which would have work starting around July 2025. At this point, there is no estimate for how long the project will take.
"Rhode Island remains committed to building a new Washington Bridge that has a state-of-the-art design, improves traffic flow and, most importantly, is built in a way where we can easily and comprehensively monitor its health over its long lifespan,” said Gov. Dan McKee in a media release Wednesday.
The westbound side of the bridge was closed about a year ago due to structural concerns. Demolition is underway, though it had to be paused earlier this year due to a lawsuit over the bridge's condition.
