Residents not confident with state leadership amid Washington Bridge closure

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Islanders said they are worried about state leadership when it comes to handling the Washington Bridge’s partial closure.

“It’s terrible, just terrible,” said Dee Dee Witman of Providence.

After nearly two months of chaos, today marks day 57 of the closure.

Federal officials came from Washington D.C. to see the Washington Bridge​ for themselves and say the fix could take a year or two to complete if they have to rebuild.

“If they bring down the bridge, that is going to be a disaster,” Whitman said. “Yet we want a healthy, well-engineered bridge.”

This week engineers and planners are analyzing traffic patterns and trying to figure out the most effective way to set up the area in the meantime.

Still, residents are not confident in the state’s leadership.

“I am a little discouraged by the Governor’s response,” said Joe Polhemus of Providence. “At times he says we are not talking about this or that at the time, and I think dialogue is very important.”

“It has been very inefficient and very disjointed,” Whitman added. “It doesn’t seem that there is a team.”

People in areas like Wayland Square told ABC 6 News large trucks have been cutting through the city to avoid the bridge traffic.

“Trucks are smart because they don’t want to get in traffic so they come by at 3 a.m.,” Whitman explained. “So we hear them rumbling down. It’s terrible because they are digging up our streets.”

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said that detour traffic needs to rerouted and is asking truckers to stay on the highway instead of disturbing local neighborhoods.