EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Nearly 16,000 overweight trucks have crossed the eastbound Washington Bridge this year, according to a weight-monitoring system, but state officials say no violators have harmed the bridge, and state troopers sometimes dispute the system’s accuracy.
The R.I. Department of Transportation started using a weigh-in-motion system on the eastbound span in January. Since then, the system has reported the crossings of 15,974 vehicles weighing over 96,000 pounds, along with eight vehicles weighing over 140,000.
Both weight levels are prohibited under state regulations for the eastbound bridge, which has been carrying two-way traffic since early 2024, after the westbound bridge failed abruptly in December 2023…