{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/22098-million-federal-funding-now-set-washington-bridge-replacement", "$220.98 Million in Federal Funding Now Set for Washington Bridge Replacement", "2024-10-16", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Seth Magaziner", "M001223", "magaziner.house.gov", "magaziner", "https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Providence, RI \u2013 The effort to replace the westbound Washington Bridge got a major boost today as U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined with Governor Dan McKee in announcing a $95,589,533 INFRA (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program) grant for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT).\n\nTogether, with a previous $125.39 million Mega grant (also known as the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program) that the state was awarded in September, Rhode Island has now received $220.98 million in federal funding to replace the Washington Bridge, fully funding the state\u2019s request for the project.\n\nThe new federal funds are being made available thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which Reed and Whitehouse supported and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021, delivering a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for INFRA grants, as well as resources for improving Rhode Island\u2019s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure.\n\nThe Washington Bridge, which spans the Seekonk River connecting East Providence to Providence and has a daily traffic volume of 90,000 vehicles, was shut down on December 11, 2023 after RIDOT discovered broken anchor rods that put the bridge at risk of failure.\n\n\u201cSecuring this federal investment has been a top priority. Now the state must utilize this $220.98 million in federal funding to accelerate progress toward a new bridge that meets capacity and safety needs now and in the future,\u201d said Reed, a leading member of the Appropriations Committee. \u201cPassing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law paved the way for this funding. I commend the Biden-Harris administration for its leadership, support, and commitment to a modern and resilient infrastructure system. The state must put this money to work and keep the public updated with a clear timetable for progress.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis INFRA Program infusion for the Washington Bridge fills in a major missing piece of the funding puzzle to ensure the state can get the job done right,\u201d said Whitehouse, who helped author the INFRA program as a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. \u201cI am very proud that the INFRA Program is yet again delivering for Rhode Island\u2019s infrastructure. We will continue to work as a delegation to secure whatever the state needs from the federal government to fix this situation for drivers.\u201d\n\n\u201cMy colleagues in the congressional delegation and I have done everything in our power to secure federal funding to rebuild the Washington Bridge, and with this latest tranche of funding, we have now brought over $220 million dollars for Rhode Island,\u201d said Magaziner. \u201cWe are grateful for the Biden-Harris administration for their leadership and support in addressing this urgent matter. We will continue working together to ensure the Washington Bridge is rebuilt safely and properly.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am excited to build off last month\u2019s announcement that we are bringing home more federal funding to help Rhode Island replace the Washington Bridge,\u201d said Amo. \u201cLed by our state\u2019s appropriator-in-chief, Senator Jack Reed, our delegation has fought tooth and nail to secure the resources our state requested. I thank President Joe Biden and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for listening to our repeated overtures about the need for resources to alleviate the burden on residents, small businesses, and first responders. I look forward to reviewing the plan from state officials so we can move towards the next chapter of getting our bridge built.\u201d\n\n\u201cSecuring a second major federal grant marks another important milestone in our work to build a brand new Washington Bridge,\u201d said McKee. \u201cWe know that ensuring this complex project is done right will take time, but it's encouraging to see demolition resuming this week, the rebuild bidding process moving forward, and additional federal dollars coming in. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their commitment to Rhode Island and our top-notch congressional delegation for helping us secure this crucial funding.\u201d\n\nOverall, the state requested $220.9 million in federal funds to help replace the Washington Bridge and was initially awarded $125.39 million out of the total pool of about $1 billion of federal funds available for Mega grants of this size and scope nationwide.\n\nDemolition of the bridge has already begun. In May of 2024, RIDOT estimated the price tag for replacing the bridge would include $58.2 million for demolition as well as $368.3 million for the design-build process.\n\nSeparate from the demolition and rebuild costs for the Washington Bridge, the state also estimated costs of approximately $46 million for emergency expenses, including work to stabilize the old bridge and estimated funding to account for both state and municipal safety and transportation-related expenses.\n\nRhode Island previously received a $60.3 million INFRA grant in 2019 to rebuild the Northbound Providence Viaduct; a $65 million INFRA grant in 2020 to overhaul Route 146; an $82.5 million INFRA grant in 2022 to upgrade the Pell Bridge; and an $81 million INFRA grant earlier this year to create a \u2018missing move\u2019 between I-95 and Quonset Business Park.\n\nRhode Island has now received two Mega awards to fund the Washington Bridge, totaling $125.39 million, as well as this new INFRA award.\n\nThese grants come on top of a $251 million federal Bridge Investment Grant the delegation secured earlier this year to repair 15 bridges along the I-95 corridor in Providence and Cranston.\n\nAdditionally, Rhode Island will also receive a total of $255 million in bridge formula funds over the life of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\n\nWith about 50,000 U.S. bridges with very significant issues awaiting attention, an estimated 40 percent of them can be rehabilitated, but at least 35 percent will require a complete replacement due to their condition, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/22098-million-federal-funding-now-set-washington-bridge-replacement"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8573440611362457, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}