Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced on Wednesday that the Washington Bridge construction project is on budget and on time, even if the final product remains years away. Previously, the governor announced that the project would cost between $339 and $427 million and would be completed by November 2028.
“I'm pleased with the progress that we're making on the Washington Bridge,” the governor said.
The state also released a new video animation detailing the construction timeline.
On Wednesday, workers used a crane and vibrating driver to drill a steel beam into the ground on Providence’s riverbank. McKee called the visible work on land a milestone.
“At this point in time, there's something really concrete to show. And that's not a play on words,” McKee said.
The Washington Bridge has become a political liability for the governor ahead of the Sept. 9 primary election. His opponent, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, repeatedly hammered McKee on his handling of the bridge issue in a debate on Tuesday.
The state had originally aimed to complete the project by August of 2026, but the ambitious request for proposal didn’t receive any bids. Last year, the state awarded a contract to Walsh Construction, with a new deadline of 2028.
On Wednesday, McKee set an upbeat tone at the press event, which gathered reporters under a section of the eastbound span.
“We've got really good professionals doing this work. And they're doing it in a timeframe that is meeting or exceeding industry standards,” McKee said on Wednesday.
So far, a temporary bridge structure called a “trestle” has been completed in the Seekonk River, said Jeff Twidwell, senior vice president at Walsh Construction, the company building the bridge. The structure gives workers access to build the rest of the bridge.
Now, workers have begun installing drill shafts that will serve as the bridge's foundation, Twidwell added. So far, 4 out of 32 drill shafts have been installed, said Robert Rocchio, interim director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. The current work on Providence’s riverbank, highlighted by McKee, is part of the effort to create that foundation.
Rocchio said that the foundation was progressing ahead of schedule.
East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva also expressed optimism about the project.
“I know you're saying in 2028, but I know with the advancements that you're putting together, the hard work that everyone's putting in on this, they'll probably see this even done before then,” DaSilva said.
Despite optimism about the speed of construction, the governor declined to set a new completion date for the bridge, instead sticking with his previous estimate of November 2028.
The westbound lanes of the Washington Bridge first closed in December of 2023. In December of 2025, the bridge was demolished. The in-water construction of the new bridge began in June.
The state has offered Walsh Construction up to $10 million in bonuses if the bridge is opened early, and penalties of $25,000 per day for delays.
