'Critical failure' closes westbound lanes of Washington Bridge

Amy Russo
Updated ·3 min read
10

Editor's Note: Have questions about the Washington Bridge, the traffic, the detours or the safety of the bridge? Follow along and ask our reporters questions 'You asked we answered: Reader questions about the Washington Bridge'

The westbound side of the Washington Bridge was suddenly closed Monday after a critical failure of old components was detected.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced the closure at an evening press conference just after a mass emergency alert went out to phones in the area.

Read More: You asked we answered: Reader questions about the Washington Bridge

The agency said the failing components are part of the original bridge built in 1968, and were discovered during its reconstruction.

Repairs could take three months or more, pushing drivers into a detour stretching over the Henderson Bridge.

What went wrong with the bridge?

According to RIDOT, the Washington Bridge carries 96,000 vehicles daily.

They said some pins had broken and caused the bridge to begin swaying.“The failure is such that it could potentially be the cause of a catastrophic failure,” RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said. “So we’re having to act on that.”Alviti said a collapse could have occurred had the damage not been caught. According to Alviti, the bridge's last inspection was two months ago, and at that time, there wasn't yet an issue.

Suggested detours and alternative routes

Local traffic in East Providence: Take Exit 2 to Broadway. Follow detour signs to the Henderson Bridge and rejoin I-195 West at Gano Street.

Southeast Massachusetts west of Fall River, MA: Take Massachusetts Exit 1 and follow Route 114A. Follow onto Route 114 (Pawtucket Avenue) or Route 1A (Newport Avenue) to I-95. This is the preferred routes for trucks.

Southeast Massachusetts east of Fall River, MA (including traffic coming from Cape Cod and the New Bedford Area): Take Massachusetts Exit 14B to Route 24 North. Follow to I-495 North to I-95.

The underside of the western end of Washington Bridge, which closed to westbound traffic on Monday. Last Friday an engineer working on site noticed and reported the failure of one of the anchor pins that hold beams in place.
The underside of the western end of Washington Bridge, which closed to westbound traffic on Monday. Last Friday an engineer working on site noticed and reported the failure of one of the anchor pins that hold beams in place.

When will repairs begin?

According to a second release from the DOT, "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) starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12."

The agency expects the repair to take three months or more.

"We know this is going to cause an inconvenience to commuters, but we needed to do this for the sake of everyone's safety," Alviti said.

RIDOT met with Gov. Dan McKee's office and Rhode Island State Police earlier in the day to discuss the matter. Mayor Brett Smiley's office said it had also been advised.

"We realize the inconvenience this may cause for Providence residents, businesses and commuters and the safety of all is our top priority," Smiley said. "We have been working diligently with local partners and RIDOT when we were alerted to the news to help detours run smoothly. We encourage everyone to plan ahead around this closure and seek alternative routes whenever possible."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: I-195 Washington Bridge westbound closed after 'critical failure' found