The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the department had executed a $221 million federal funding award for Rhode Island’s Washington Bridge Project.
The grant, previously awarded by the Biden administration, was one of 3,200 Duffy said had not yet been executed. Duffy said the grant had been announced in the fall of last year but had not yet been signed.
“Since coming into office, my team has discovered an unprecedented backlog of grants leftover from the previous administration,” Duffy said. “This backlog, along with ridiculous DEI and Green New Deal requirements, prevented real infrastructure from being built and funded. Under the Trump Administration, we’ve ripped out this red tape and are getting back to what matters. As part of our work to deliver real results, we are pleased to announce $221 million in grants for Rhode Island’s Washington Bridge — a critical link that carries thousands of vehicles a day.”
During reconstruction on the bridge in December 2023, a critical failure was discovered included severed tie rods, failing post-tension concrete girders, and overall concrete quality, which prompted the closure of the westbound bridge. Engineers later determined the entire bridge needed to be replaced.
The Washington Bridge connects Providence and East Providence over the Seekonk River and connects to several major highways including I-95, I-295, US-6, RI-10 and RI-146. The bridge consists of three separate parallel bridges and is a major transportation link between Rhode Island and points southwest. The westbound span was built in 1969and carried five lanes of traffic.
“Thank you to Secretary Duffy and USDOT for being so responsive to our recent communications with the Administration about the Washington Bridge,” Rhode Island’s Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz and House Minority Leader Mike Chippendale, said in a statement. “Delivering a meaningful solution for the people of Rhode Island on the most serious infrastructure failure our state has experienced is paramount to our work. We look forward to continuing to “build bridges” with the new administration and welcome the additional accountability that comes with the use of federal funds.”