Rhode Island Lands $125.4 Million Mega Grant to Help with Washington Bridge Replacement

Published on Friday, September 20, 2024

Governor McKee and RI Delegation announce major infusion of federal funds and continue to pursue additional sources of federal funding to help pay for Washington Bridge work

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined with Governor Dan McKee in announcing $125,390,467 in federal funding for Rhode Island to help replace the Washington Bridge.

The federal funds are being awarded to the state through the “Mega grant” program, also known as the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, which is designed to support large transportation projects that are difficult to fund.  The Mega grant program was created and enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which Senators Reed and Whitehouse helped pass into law. 

“This grant is a mega-win for Rhode Island and a major down payment on replacing the Washington Bridge.  We are incredibly grateful to President Biden and Secretary Pete Buttigieg for their responsiveness to our calls for assistance.  Their leadership has made a difference for Rhode Island and for strengthening our nation’s transportation infrastructure as a whole,” said Senator Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee who helped create the Mega program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “There is a lot more work to do to get the bridge back up and running, and hopefully this boost of federal funding will accelerate progress.  We will continue to pursue additional funding streams because this bridge is a vital lifeline for commuters, residents, and businesses.  We’ve got to get it replaced and done right so it’s there for future generations.”

“The Washington Bridge situation has been a headache for drivers and small businesses, but I am very pleased to announce that federal help is on the way to build a new bridge,” said Senator Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.  “Once again, our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has come through for Rhode Islanders in a big way.  This is a great start, and we will continue working together with the Biden-Harris administration to secure the funding that the state needs to get the job done right.”

“Replacing and reopening the Washington Bridge is a top priority, and it is welcome news that Rhode Island has secured funding through this highly competitive program,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “Thank you to the Biden-Harris administration for listening to us as we explained to them the urgency of the situation. My colleagues in the congressional delegation and I will continue fighting to secure additional federal funding to repair the Washington Bridge as quickly and safely as possible.”

“Every dollar we secure to rebuild the Washington Bridge is a dollar to alleviate the burden on Rhode Island’s residents, businesses, and visitors,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “$125.4 million in grant funding is significant — and further demonstrates our congressional delegation’s commitment to leave no stone unturned as we marshal federal support for this critical project.”

“This is a huge win for Rhode Island in a highly competitive grant cycle,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Only $850 million in federal funds was available nationwide for projects our size, and we were awarded $125 million. We used every tool in our toolbox to illustrate that this project is our top priority – speaking directly with President Biden, bringing Secretary Buttigieg to see the bridge firsthand, traveling to the White House to make our case in person and having countless calls with partners like Senator Reed, Senator Whitehouse, Congressman Magaziner, Congressman Amo and Secretary Raimondo. We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and everyone who worked with us to secure this crucial funding to help build a brand new Washington Bridge. We will continue to work with our congressional delegation to pursue all potential federal funding sources to further defray project costs.”

All four members of the Congressional delegation stressed they will continue to pursue other avenues of federal bridge funds to help pay for the project and they are optimistically working to secure additional funds this fall to help the state reach the total of $220.9 million for which it applied.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has updated its estimates for the costs of the bridge's demolition and subsequent design-rebuild to include a change of scope, contingency dollars, and construction incentives. The change of scope includes work on off- and on-ramps to the bridge itself.  The new estimates are $58.2 million for the demolition and $368.3 million for the design-build process.

Separate from the demolition and rebuild costs for the Washington Bridge, the State is currently estimating costs of approximately $46 million for emergency expenses, including work to stabilize the old bridge and estimated funding to account for both state and municipal safety and transportation-related expenses.

Overall, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $5 billion for Mega grants through 2026 for large, complex infrastructure projects.  Rhode Island received two Mega awards to fund the Washington Bridge, totaling $125.39 million.

This new Mega grant comes on top of a $251 million federal Bridge Investment Grant the delegation secured earlier this year to repair 15 bridges along the I-95 corridor in Providence and Cranston.

This level of federal funding for Rhode Island infrastructure improvements stands in stark contrast to the previous administration.  While Donald Trump routinely declared “Infrastructure Week,” his administration had little to show for it, whereas President Joe Biden oversaw the passage of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars for bridge improvements across the Ocean State and continues to invest billions annually in America’s transportation network, communities, and workers.