Washington Bridge replacement cost rises, McKee to pursue federal ‘Mega Grant’ to fund rebuild

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The State of Rhode Island will pursue a U.S. Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance discretionary grant, also known as a Mega Grant, to fund 60 percent of the construction costs of a new Washington Bridge.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has also updated its estimate for the costs of the Washington Bridge demolition and rebuild to include a change of scope, contingency dollars and construction incentives.

The new estimates call for $40.52 million for the demolition and $368.3 million for the design-build.

$46 million would be required to stabilize the current bridge and account for both state and municipal safety and transportation-related expenses.

This brings the total estimate of the rebuild to $454.82 million

The initial estimate for the project was $250-$300 million.

Rhode Island’s application for the grant will request $220.9 million in funding toward the project.

The grant was created under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and is meant to fund large, more complex transportation projects that are likely to yield economic, mobility or safety benefits.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee also submitted a budget amendment to authorize a GARVEE bond, which will allow Rhode Island to borrow against future allocations of federal transportation infrastructure funding.

The bond will be up to $334.6 million in the event that Rhode Island is not awarded the Mega Grant.