Due to safety concerns, the westbound span of the Washington Bridge in Providence, R.I., has been closed since December 2023.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced on Thursday, March 6 that it is now posting data from weigh-in motion technology on the eastbound span of the Washington Bridge as a “precautionary tool.”
“Safety is RIDOT’s highest priority,” the state DOT’s Director Peter Alviti Jr. said in a statement. “As part of our comprehensive efforts for maintenance and inspection of the eastbound bridge, we installed this state-of-the-art system, which will allow RIDOT to have its finger on the pulse of the bridge in real time, every day, around the clock.”
The state DOT is also in the process of installing structural-health-monitoring technology on the Washington Bridge to acquire information on how the structure responds to overweight trucks.
A weight limit of 80,000 pounds for trucks is in place on the bridge. Trucks weighing up to 96,000 pounds are allowed to cross with a permit. If a truck in excess of 140,000 pounds crosses the bridge, a visual inspection is performed to ensure the structure is not affected, RIDOT said.
Oversize permit limits on the Washington Bridge were set conservatively and in consideration of the additional traffic in the current bypass configuration with the westbound span closed, according to state transportation officials. RIDOT said trucks weighing less than 96,000 pounds are not considered a safety concern.
Updated bridge data can be found here.
Washington Bridge project
The original Washington Bridge was altered in 1968 and replaced by the current twin-spanned bridge. It carries approximately 90,000 vehicles daily over the Seekonk River, connecting the Providence metropolitan area with Massachusetts and the southern New England region.
Demolition on the project continues, but like other bridge projects across the country, the Washington Bridge project remains in limbo following the freeze of federal funding for such initiatives.
Last week, we successfully completed demolition of the Washington Bridge’s superstructure. Today is the official start of demolishing the bridge’s substructure.
This represents another significant step forward in our work to deliver a new bridge that will outlast our lifetimes. pic.twitter.com/3QP5qqwHwg
— Governor Dan McKee (@GovDanMcKee) March 3, 2025
WPRI-TV reported that Gov. Dan McKee explained in a letter to the U.S. DOT the importance of the Washington Bridge and other projects previously approved for federal funding.
The Washington Bridge has been forced to operate beyond its capacity for decades, according to RIDOT.
A news release from the governor’s office said substructure demolition is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. LL
More Land Line news from Rhode Island.
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