Bridge builders wanted: Contract to rebuild Washington Bridge comes with big bonuses – and penalties

Patrick Anderson, Providence Journal
Updated ·2 min read

Rhode Island is looking for a contractor to build a new Washington Bridge span to carry westbound traffic on Interstate 195.

The state Department of Transportation issued a request for proposals Tuesday and hopes that whoever is hired to build a new bridge will be able to get it done no later than August 2026.

RFP encourages innovation – but bidders beware

The DOT "highly encourages the use of accelerated bridge construction methods to replace the bridge and open travel lanes to the public as quickly as possible," according to a news release.

But bidders beware: If something goes awry with what will surely be a complex, multi-part construction project, there could be serious consequences.

The state is now considering filing suit against one or more of the private contractors, subcontractors or consultants for the circumstances that led the state to close the bridge abruptly in December to avoid possible collapse.

On the single, southern span of the Washington Bridge still open to automotive traffic, cars stream east and west on Interstate 195 in lanes narrowed to increase capacity. The state on Tuesday put out a request for proposals to build a replacement for the closed, northern span.
On the single, southern span of the Washington Bridge still open to automotive traffic, cars stream east and west on Interstate 195 in lanes narrowed to increase capacity. The state on Tuesday put out a request for proposals to build a replacement for the closed, northern span.

A joint venture of Barletta Heavy Division and Aetna Bridge was in the midst of a $78 million rehab project when the bridge was found to be unsafe.

The contract for that project was terminated earlier this year and the DOT could not immediately say Tuesday whether Barletta or Aetna is eligible to bid on the new contract.

More: A report warned the state about the Washington Bridge in 2015. Why was nothing done?

What does winning the bid get you?

The winning bidder will be responsible for:

  • Designing and building a bridge that carries at least five through lanes of traffic across the Seekonk River

  • Building a new on-ramp from Gano Street in Providence

  • Building a new off-ramp to Waterfront Drive in East Providence.

The winning bidder could earn up to $10 million in incentives, based on the per-day work rates, if they can open the new structure before August 2026.

On the flipside, the contractor will be subject to penalties of $30,000 per day if the project runs late.

To encourage competition, the RFP includes stipends of $500,000 each to the second and third-place bidders.

Last Friday the DOT released an RFP for a contractor to tear down the existing westbound Washington Bridge.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge rebuild RFP, timeline released: What we know