Washington Bridge To Undergo A Years-Long Rebuild: Report

RHODE ISLAND — Washington Bridge — which has been out of service since it abruptly closed in December following a "critical failure" — will have to be rebuilt, officials are reportedly set to announce Thursday.

Governor Dan McKee and R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti are expected to share the news in an afternoon news conference, according to WPRI. Construction could take two years and cost as much as $300 million, the outlet reported, citing sources.

The bridge's fatal flaws might have existed for an extended period before its closure, according to internal Rhode Island Department of Transportation emails that were obtained by The Boston Globe.

On Dec. 8, one week before the bridge was abruptly closed down, an engineer with a private firm working on its repairs sent a series of photos and notes explaining that multiple rods that were part of the bridge's original construction were fully exposed and failing, the outlet reported, citing the emails.

In response, RIDOT deputy chief engineer Keith Gaulin said that he believed the issue "pre-existed but was not noticeable until now as this area is more exposed due to current construction work," according to the outlet.

On the other hand, Alviti said in multiple news conferences in December that the rods were not broken when the bridge was last inspected in July.

"Based on our phone conversation, it seems there are no immediate actions to be taken right at this moment as we try to determine other short and long-term solutions," Gaulin said in December, as reported by The Boston Globe.

Within days, however, the state had shut down the entire westbound bridge. It remains closed to this day.

Shortly after the closure, a 500-seat ferry and temporary bypass lanes were launched to help the more than 90,000 drivers in limbo — though serious traffic issues persist.