The four-member Rhode Island congressional delegation has requested federal aid to help expedite repairs to the Washington Bridge, which was closed suddenly on Tuesday due to a critical failure of key components.
In a joint statement, the delegation, made up of Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Seth Magaziner, and Rep. Gabe Amo, said they would work with federal, state, and local leaders to help reopen the bridge as soon as possible.
“Our offices are working together and closely monitoring this situation in coordination with federal, state, and local officials. We stand ready to help the state, support the community, and assist all those impacted by this ongoing emergency bridge closure,” they said.
The delegation also requested that the U.S. Department of Transportation expedite any approvals for the state, and provide technical assistance with detours, shuttle busses, and other potential impacts to the community.
“We urge you to expedite any approvals requested by RIDOT. We also ask that you provide technical assistance to the state where applicable to optimize work on repairs, lane shifts, detour design, shuttle busses, and other items as necessary,” they said.
The Washington Bridge carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River between Providence and East Providence and sees nearly 100,000 crossings per day. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has said that repairs could take several months.
Source: RI Delegation Seeks Federal Aid to Assist with Washington Bridge Closure
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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
