As the possible outcomes for the ailing Washington Bridge transition from just a repair to a possible replacement, the head of the Federal Highway Administration walked the bridge with local officials to see the situation for himself.
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt joined Gov. Dan McKee, Rhode Island’s congressional delegation, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva for a news conference on the Providence side of the bridge just before noon.
Bhatt described the situation with the bridge as “complex” several times while delivering comments, explaining that there are essentially three bridges that are being dealt with. He opened his comments by praising the Rhode Island Department of Transportation for their actions in closing the bridge after the critical finding in December.
In the next several days, Bhatt also said that the FHWA would be bringing in operational experts to analyze how traffic is flowing through the area and determine what may need to change to make that flow more efficient.