The effort to replace the westbound Washington Bridge received a $95,589,533 INFRA grant, announced by U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, totaling $220.98 million in federal funding.
The new grant comes on top of a $125.39 million grant the state was awarded in September, bringing the total amount of federal funding for the project to $220.98 million, which fully funds the state’s request.
“This INFRA Program infusion for the Washington Bridge fills in a major missing piece of the funding puzzle to ensure the state can get the job done right,” Whitehouse said in a statement.
The Washington Bridge, which carries 90,000 vehicles per day over the Seekonk River between East Providence and Providence, was shut down on Dec. 11, 2023, after the Rhode Island Department of Transportation discovered broken anchor rods that put the bridge at risk of failure.
Demolition of the bridge has commenced. In May, RIDOT estimated the cost of replacing the bridge would be $58.2 million for demolition and $368.3 million for the design-build process. The state has also estimated $46 million for emergency expenses, including work to stabilize the old bridge and costs for state and municipal safety and transportation-related expenses.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supported by Reed and Whitehouse and signed into law by Biden in 2021, is providing new federal funds. The law increased the amount of funding available for INFRA grants by 50%.
“Passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law paved the way for this funding,” Reed said in a statement. “I commend the Biden-Harris administration for its leadership, support, and commitment to a modern and resilient infrastructure system. The state must put this money to work and keep the public updated with a clear timetable for progress.”
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
