The work to physically rebuild the westbound Washington Bridge is supposed to start as early as April under the timeline established on the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s (RIDOT) website. That is, if the contractor overseeing the multi-year project can secure federal permitting in time.
Interim RIDOT Director Robert Rocchio told reporters gathered at the State House Tuesday afternoon that the state is still awaiting approval from the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corp of Engineers on permit applications filed last November. The Coast Guard is responsible for approval of the location and plans of bridges and causeways constructed across navigable waters of the United States. Permits generally take 90 days to get approved.
The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down since Feb. 14 after Congressional Democrats withheld support for the GOP’s funding bill in a push for restrictions and guardrails on the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers…