Saturday, January 27, 2024
Governor Dan McKee’s office announced Friday night that it had been notified by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General the federal agencies have launched investigations into the failure of the Washington Bridge.
“Today, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation was notified that the United States Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General is seeking documents and records related to the Washington Bridge. This is not unexpected, and the Governor welcomes the review. The Governor has instructed the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to fully cooperate. As you know, the Governor has directed his Department of Administration to hire an independent, third-party expert to review this matter as well,” said McKee’s office.
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This story was first published at 1/26/24 6:07 PM and updated at 8:02 PM
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In an exclusive interview with GoLocal on Thursday, Stephen A. Cardi, Sr., who helped to lead one of the top construction companies in the Northeast for more than 50 years, said the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) ignored warnings and moved forward with a design that undermined the structural integrity of the Washington Bridge.
On December 11, 2023, the westbound lands on I-195 on the Washington Bridge were closed by Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee’s administration. RIDOT officials initially claimed that there was a “critical failure” and that the repairs would take just three months.
RIDOT Director Peter Alviti repeatedly claimed that his agency’s extensive inspection program caught the issue early, and he said that maybe a heavy truck caused the issues on the bridge.
On Monday, Alviti and McKee held a press conference and admitted that a “complete rebuild” of the Washington Bridge may be necessary.
RIDOT Was Warned Nearly 3 Years Ago
In December, on the night of the bridge closure, GoLocal published documents that unveiled that a top bridge engineer in Connecticut had warned RIDOT years earlier.
Cardi Corporation partnered in bidding for the Washington Bridge rehabilitation work with the Connecticut engineer Michael “Pete” Culmo, who presently is the Chief Bridge Engineer at CHA Consulting in Hebron, Connecticut. Culmo flagged critical issues that were known to RIDOT officials for nearly three years.
Culmo warned in that submission that the design preferred by RIDOT officials had serious technical issues and, due to wear, could cause failure.
Cardi did not mince words about Alviti and Rhode Island Governors Gina Raimondo and McKee for their management failures regarding the Washington Bridge. He says the Washington Bridge is the “aorta” of Rhode Island’s transportation system. It is critical to protect the key highways of the system.
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