Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said Monday he has ordered an accelerated review of infrastructure similar to the highway on-ramp in Cranston that partially collapsed Friday night.
A chunk of the ramp’s outer wall – the parapet and a facade that acts as a buffer to keep electricity from jumping off rail tracks – fell onto Amtrak tracks, causing cancellations and snarling train traffic. The highway ramp connects Route 10 to I-95.
Speaking to reporters at the scene, McKee noted that no injuries resulted and he said the cause of the partial collapse remains under investigation.
Amtrak service was restored as of Monday morning. McKee said the state hopes to reopen the on-ramp to motorists as soon as possible.
Because the ramp in question passes over Amtrak tracks, the state needs approval from Amtrak to proceed with its design for fixing the situation, state officials said.
McKee said there are about seven similar instances around the state where a parapet is paired with an electrical shield meant to stop current from jumping away from Amtrak’s electrified rails. Six are already under contract to be replaced.
“We’re taking this incident very seriously,” the governor said. “I know that Rhode Islanders are going to be concerned about other bridges like this one. We’re taking immediate steps. I’ve ordered inspections of bridges like this one that have parapets with Amtrak shields.”
The bridge in question was previously rated poor and due to be replaced next year. It did not face any load restrictions before last weekend.
Speaking 10 years after Rhode Island passed a law known as RhodeWorks meant to improve the state’s roads and bridges, McKee blamed decades of neglect as a possible factor in the situation.
The governor deferred a number of questions, including why the state didn’t intercede before part of the Cranston on-ramp fell apart, to Robert Rocchio, director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
“Because we had no indications that there was an issue with this parapet,” Rocchio responded.
He said the issue is not the structure of the bridge or the integrity of the bridge structure, but one of “getting that temporary barrier with the electrification shield installed so there’s no arcing that can hit vehicles.”
Rocchio said the on-ramp in Cranston had been under inspection since late March and was previously inspected in April 2025.
“I think we are doing everything we can (to ensure public safety),” he said,. “While there are no guarantees in life, our children, our families drive over these bridges.”
Infrastructure, and particularly the Ocean State’s bridges, remains a potent issue in the current race for governor, since the Washington Bridge was closed on an emergency basis in December 2023. The state is suing a group of contractors that it blames for the situation.
