Buttigieg observes Washington Bridge, says 2026 timeline for reopening is ‘aggressive’

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spent Tuesday morning observing the westbound side of the Washington Bridge.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation anticipated that traffic could flow over the bridge by 2026, but Buttigieg suggested that may be a challenge.

“I think it is an aggressive estimate that needs to be met,” Buttigieg said. “We are going to do everything we can to help make that a reality.”

“The only thing more important than getting this done quickly is getting it done safely,” he added.

The visit comes less than a week after the announcement the westbound side of the Washington Bridge will need to be torn down and rebuilt.

“We saw what was going on with the beam,” Buttigieg said. “We saw what is going on with the need to stabilize the structure, the unique structure that lead to the situation in the first place.”

“But what this is really about is not the concrete or steel; it’s about all the people who count on it,” he continued.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, alongside other officials, walked with Buttigieg to see the exact problems with the bridge.

“We are on now the part of the structure that we found the defects in,” Alviti said as they observed the bridge. “As the construction was progressing, and when they got to this point, one of the engineers noticed a pin, a tension rod had severed.”

Buttigieg put out a grave warning regarding any bridge structures similar to the Washington Bridge.

“I am very concerned about the design of the bridge,” Buttigieg said. “And that is why we put word out to any other bridge in the country — we don’t think there are others — that have this unique combination of design qualities, but, if not, they are going to need to inspect what would otherwise be obscure.”

Buttigieg said the U.S. Department of Transportation will continue working with the state to make sure they are able to stay on schedule.

“We are not going to rest until we gets things back to normal,” he concluded.

Buttigieg said by the end of next month there should be three lanes going both ways on the eastbound side of the bridge to help mitigate traffic backups.