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State of Rhode Island, Governor Dan McKee,
Governor McKee Announces Washington Bridge Rebuild Moves Forward
Published on Friday, June 06, 2025
PROVIDENCE, RI — Governor Dan McKee today announced that Walsh Construction Company—one of the nation’s top bridge builders—has been selected to build a new, state-of-the-art Washington Bridge for Rhode Islanders.
As a result of a highly competitive procurement process, the project cost and timeline were driven by industry expertise—ensuring Rhode Island receives strong value and a realistic timeline.
“Today, Rhode Island is moving forward toward a new, state-of-the-art Washington Bridge that will get residents where they need to go safely and smoothly,” said Governor Dan McKee. “With a world-class construction company hired, a project cost that is well within our budgeted funds, and a project timeline that is driven by industry expertise, we’re positioned to deliver a bridge that will truly outlast our lifetimes.”
Walsh’s bid set the construction contract hard cost at $339 million. With other soft costs for inspections and potential incentives and contingencies, the total rebuild cost could be up to $427 million. Last year, the State established a proactive funding strategy, which will cover the full cost of the project, meaning the new bridge will be built at no additional cost to taxpayers.
Walsh will begin initial work in July 2025, which includes surveying the site, ordering materials, and mobilizing workers. Their project completion date is 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 new Washington Bridge will be designed for easier inspection and maintenance, with a 100-year design life. Walsh’s plan includes several key improvements:
Additional travel lane, new off-ramp: Includes 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: Includes
new lane configurations for I-195 West in East Providence to eliminate longstanding traffic delays westbound toward Providence. This will provide an additional travel lane approaching the bridge. To accomplish this, the contractor will widen I-195 West to provide three lanes instead of four between the Broadway on-ramp and the Washington Bridge, replace the Potter Street overpass, and relocate an existing pier connected to the off-ramp from I-195 East to Taunton Avenue.
New substructure: The bridge will be built on an entirely new substructure. The removal of the substructure was added to the demolition project last fall.
Smaller footprint: The new bridge will have a footprint that is more than 450 feet
shorter than the old bridge. The design calls for far fewer supporting piers in
the river.
Aesthetics: Aesthetic lighting will illuminate the length of the bridge deck on its northern side. Prefabricated arches will be built over local streets on both the Providence and East Providence sides of the river to mimic the look 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. This contract achieves that goal. It includes a reasonable schedule and a realistic budget. And it will be executed by one of the best firms in the country,” said Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti, Jr.
Ranked as the #1 bridge contractor in the country by Engineering News-Record, Walsh has 127 years of experience in construction and brings a proven track record
of delivering on complex infrastructure projects. The Washington Bridge represents the third time Walsh has built this type of bridge in the past three years.
The current demolition project remains on schedule for completion by the end of the year, with the start of underwater segments of the old bridge foundation beginning after July 1.