Walsh Construction Co. has been selected to build the new I-195 Washington Bridge in Providence, Rhode Island.
With a hard cost of $339 million, the total value of the contract could rise to as much as $427 million depending on soft costs for inspections and potential incentives and contingencies, according to the release.
State officials abruptly closed the bridge, which spans the Seekonk River, in December 2023 after an engineer flagged safety concerns over broken tie-down rods. An audit and inspection report released in March 2024 identified more problems including unsound concrete, corrosion and “structural deficiencies that cannot be viably repaired” and said that the bridge had to be demolished and replaced.
The westbound Washington Bridge opened in 1968 and carried nearly 100,000 vehicles every day. Its sudden closure immediately backed up traffic and has since disrupted life in the area, according to news reports.
Walsh will begin initial work in July, including surveying the site, ordering materials and mobilizing workers, with a completion date of November 2028. To keep the project moving forward on schedule, the state has established up to $10 million in incentives if lanes are opened ahead of schedule and penalties of $25,000 per day if the project timeline is exceeded, the release said.
The new Washington Bridge will be designed for easier inspection and maintenance, with a 100-year design life. The scope of work includes several key improvements, such as:
- Increasing the number of lanes over the bridge from four to five and constructing a new on-ramp to I-195 West from Gano Street and an off-ramp from I-195 West to Waterfront Drive.
- New travel lane configurations to reduce longstanding congestion.
- A new substructure.
- A footprint that is more than 450 feet shorter than the old bridge with fewer supporting piers in the river.
- Aesthetic lighting that will illuminate the length of the bridge deck on its northern side and prefabricated arches that will be built over local streets on both sides of the river to mimic the look of the original Washington Bridge.
“Our goal was to provide a design and a plan to build a bridge that will carry 80,000 vehicles every day safely for 100 years,” said Rhode Island DOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. in the release. “This contract achieves that goal.”
The Washington Bridge is the third time Walsh has built this type of bridge in the past three years, the release said.
