RIDOT on Washington Bridge: ‘It could be a complete rebuild of the entire bridge’

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) —  Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee and RIDOT Director Peter Alviti addressed the ongoing repairs to the Washington Bridge after its westbound lane was closed on Dec. 11.

“No final decisions can or will be made until we have all the facts from the engineers,” said McKee. “I want to thank the people of Rhode Island for their patience as we work to get the bridge open as quickly as possible and as safely as possible.”

Director Alviti addressed the media to give further details on the status of the construction and repairs.

“I want to assure everyone we’re all working 24/7 to ensure that we have this analysis and a comprehensive look at the bridge structure that will result in a bridge that will be long-lasting and safe,” said Alviti.

Altivi described the forensic analysis of the bridge as potentially delivering several different scenarios on the repairs.

“It could be a repair of the existing structure…it could be a reconstruction of various components of the bridge structure, or it could be a complete rebuild of the entire bridge,” said Alviti.

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