![[CREDIT: RIDOT] Funding for the westbound Washington Bridge rebuild has been re-secured after President Donald Trump froze funding in January.](https://e8dgfhu6pow.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/RIDOT-Washington-Bridge-Rebuild.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1)
PROVIDENCE, RI — Thursday, Gov. Dan McKee introduced that the State of Rhode Island and the federal authorities have formally signed the settlement for the $220.9 million Mega-INFRA grants to assist the Washington Bridge reconstruction, locking in U.S. Division of Transportation (USDOT) funding for the mission.
The State has begun to attract down funds to assist pre-construction actions for the rebuild.
“With this signing, the $220 million in federal grant funding for the brand new Washington Bridge has been assured,” stated Governor Dan McKee. “That is one other signal of continued progress in our work to construct a fashionable, soundly constructed Washington Bridge that can outlast our lifetimes. I wish to thank our congressional delegation for his or her continued assist in securing this funding.”
Additionally Thursday, the state’s Congressional Delegation announced that they had thawed $30 million of the funding frozen by the Trump Administration in January.
Based on McKee’s workplace, the State has made continued progress in constructing a brand new bridge since March 14, 2024, when it was decided that repairing the Washington Bridge was not possible.
Simply over one 12 months later:
- Two nationally revered engineering and building groups are engaged in a aggressive bid course of for the design and building of the brand new bridge.
- The superstructure of the poor bridge has already been safely demolished, and work has begun on demolishing the substructure.
- Visitors quantity has since returned to pre-closure ranges.
- Hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in grants have been supplied grants to native companies most impacted within the early months of the bridge closure.
- When it got here to financing the development of a brand new bridge, the Administration’s profitable advocacy with the Congressional Delegation, the Federal Freeway Administration and the White Home resulted important federal awards, together with the $125.4 million MEGA grant and a $95.5 million INFRA grant assured at present.
- The State adopted a “belt and suspenders” method to funding, securing tens of millions in Garvee bonds to assist the mission if wanted.
- The Governor’s Workplace initiated a lawsuit to carry accountable events accountable.
