By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg pledged to help Rhode Island rebuild its crippled Washington Bridge following a tour of the span Tuesday, calling the state’s two-year timetable for a replacement, “an aggressive estimate that needs to be met, and we’re going to do everything we can to help make that a reality.”
Buttigieg crossed the closed westbound span from East Providence to Providence along with a full compliment of local and state officials and all four members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation Tuesday morning, later telling reporters that federal support toward the estimated $300 million price tag could exceed a standard funding formula used in most public construction projects, which ordinarily provide an 80% federal match to a 20% state contribution, citing various federal programs.
“Some of those have a match requirement, some of those can be waived. So, we don’t know the ultimate mix, but I would say that’s it’s possible that it’s more generous than the regular model in terms of the match, depending on which sources of funds come into play,” Buttigieg said.
Buttigieg said that the effort to replace the bridge, which carries Interstate 195 from East Providence to Providence, goes far beyond the crippled structure itself, the westbound lanes of which were closed abruptly in December when broken rods were discovered, posing what state transportation officials said could have led to a catastrophic failure and possible collapse.
“It’s not just about the physical road,” Buttigieg said. “What this really about is not just the concrete and steel, it’s about everybody that counts on it.”
“We’ve been paying attention to this from day one and we know just how important it is to commuters and residents in this whole area.”
Buttigieg later took part in a groundbreaking for the Woonasquatucket Greenway project, where Gov. Dan McKee welcomed Buttigieg’s support.
“The good news today I believe is that we’re going to build a brand new bridge, and that bridge is going to last well past anybody here that’s standing in front of me, a hundred years,” McKee said.
