Rhode Island forensic audit of Washington Bridge finds it was poorly maintained over decades before its 2023 closure
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A forensic audit of the I-195 Washington Bridge, made public in September 2025, concluded that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation's decision to close the bridge in December 2023 was justified, but that the problems leading to the closure were not new and the bridge was poorly maintained 'over an extended period of decades.' Engineering News-Record identifies the report as one prepared in 2024 by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE), which attributed the tie-rod fractures to advanced corrosion coupled with decades of deficient inspections and poor maintenance, and reports the state attorney general's office delayed its public release for more than a year. The audit recommended that RIDOT review how it prioritizes and follows up on work recommended in inspection reports. Governor Dan McKee has said public accountability will come from the state's lawsuit against companies previously involved with the bridge; claims in that litigation are allegations.
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