Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023:
The westbound lanes of the Washington Bridge along I-195 in Providence, Rhode Island, are closed indefinitely after crews found “a critical failure of some bridge components.”
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) said those particular components are part of the original Washington Bridge, which was built in 1968. They were uncovered during the bridge's reconstruction.
Initially, all the westbound lanes will be closed and traffic diverted to alternate routes. In the next two to three weeks, RIDOT will move traffic to two lanes on the eastbound side at which time permanent repairs will begin on the westbound side. This will require a closure of two lanes on I-195 East in the area of Exit 1A (India Street), which began at 9 a.m. today, Dec. 12.
Depending on the severity of what RIDOT finds in its initial work, the repair could take three months or more.
“In the process of reconstructing the Washington Bridge, our consultants found urgent safety issues that could cause a critical deficiency on this side of the bridge,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti. “We are closing the westbound side until we can make it completely safe.”
RIDOT said the preferred detour route for trucks is to take Massachusetts Exit 1 and follow Route 114A. Follow onto Route 114 (Pawtucket Avenue) or Route 1A (Newport Avenue) to I-95.
