Ted Nesi and Alexandra Leslie
2 hours ago
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — In a surprise development, no companies submitted bids to build the new westbound Washington Bridge once the deadline came and went on Wednesday, raising questions about what happens next with the massive project.
Companies looking to win the huge contract for the reconstruction job — valued at over $300 million — had to submit their bids by noon on Wednesday. A state portal shows none did so.
The lack of interest from firms in the project is a blow to Gov. Dan McKee and his advisers, who had announced earlier this year that they wanted a new bridge opened by August 2026, just a month before the governor will face Democratic primary voters for reelection. McKee had offered up to $10 million in incentives to companies if they got the job done more quickly.
“The state purposely chose an aggressive project timeline with corresponding incentives and disincentives with the goal of completing the bridge rebuild as quickly as possible,” said RIDOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin.
“While expediency is still the goal, given that the initial [request for proposals] did not produce a response, we will now be reviewing and potentially adjusting factors affecting contractor participation to the RFP before rebidding the project,” he said.
Though no bids were submitted, documents posted on the state portal indicate there had been interest in the job among vendors. They submitted dozens of questions to RIDOT about the scope of the project and the agency’s expectations between May 17 and June 18, the portal shows.
Appearing Tuesday on 12 News at 4, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti gave no indication he had any fears that the bid solicitation would fail to get any responses, saying only that he was awaiting for the Wednesday deadline.
“We’ll be receiving those bids and those proposals beginning tomorrow,” Alviti told 12 News anchor Kim Kalunian when asked about the potential cost of the project. “At that time, we’ll look to see what they say, and I have no predisposition as to what to expect.”
The westbound bridge has been closed since last December, when an engineer working on a repair project discovered major structural problems that hadn’t been seen in an inspection the previous summer. The eastbound bridge, a separate and newer structure, has been reconfigured to carry traffic on I-195 in both directions while the westbound bridge is closed.
The bulk of the cost of the new bridge is expected to be covered by the federal government. The state has a pending application for a $221 million federal grant to try and secure extra money beyond standard highway grants.
McKee has separately hired lawyers, led by veteran litigator Max Wistow, to pursue legal damages against companies that have worked on the bridge over the years. Administration officials had downplayed suggestions that the litigation effort could dissuade other companies from bidding on the reconstruction project.
The governor has promised an eventual “day of reckoning” for whoever is deemed responsible for the mismanagement of the bridge. But public release of a widely anticipated forensic analysis, initially expected to happen months ago, has been delayed indefinitely so Wistow can pursue possible litigation.
Just last week, the McKee administration announced that it had tentatively selected Aetna Bridge Co. for the separate contract to demolish the existing westbound bridge. Aetna’s contract will total $48.8 million if it achieves all $3 million in potential incentive payments — about 57% more than RIDOT had budgeted for the demolition project.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Ted Nesi (tnesi@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter and 12 News politics/business editor. He co-hosts Newsmakers and writes Nesi’s Notes on Saturdays. Connect with him on Twitter, Threads and Facebook.
Alexandra Leslie (aleslie@wpri.com) is a Target 12 investigative reporter covering Providence and more for 12 News. Connect with her on Twitter and on Facebook.