Ferry And Bypass Lanes Planned Amid Washington Bridge Closure

RHODE ISLAND — A 500-seat ferry and bypass lanes are planned to help the more than 90,000 drivers in limbo following the sudden closure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge after a "critical failure" this week, officials said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The temporary bypass lanes on the bridge are expected to open this weekend, while the ferry is set to begin running between Bristol and Providence within the next week or two, officials announced.

The bridge could be closed for as long as three months after serious faults were found in some of the original 1960s bridge components during the bridge's reconstruction, officials announced Monday.

Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said during the news conference that fixing the bridge is the "top priority in the state of Rhode Island right now."

For now, all the westbound lanes are closed as traffic is diverted to alternate routes, Monday's emergency announcement said.

Officials said that significant progress has been made in getting traffic moved to two lanes on the eastbound side, at which time permanent repairs will begin on the westbound side. Officials said Tuesday that this shift is set to be completed within two weeks.

This also requires the closure of two lanes on I-195 East in the area of Exit 1A at India Street, which began at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The closure also forced East Providence Public Schools to shift to virtual learning Wednesday after the abrupt closure left buses stranded for hours on Tuesday afternoon.

In-person learning is set to return Thursday but with early dismissal times, the Boston Globe reported, citing a note sent to families by school officials. High school will dismiss at 12:45 p.m., middle school at 1:45 p.m., and elementary at 2:45 p.m., the outlet reported.

Travelers are asked to take the marked detour 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 Washington Bridge carries 96,000 vehicles daily, officials said. The total construction cost for the Washington Bridge project is $78 million.