EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — After months of searching, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the Gov. Dan McKee administration have picked a company for the demolition of The Washington Bridge.
The bid, however, is coming in well above initial projections.
Since the bridge’s closure half a year ago, it’s been a waiting game of finding out what they’d decide to do to with the westbound portion of the bridge.
It’s also been a waiting game to fins out who would carry out the massive demolition project.
RIDOT and McKee announced Friday that Aetna Bridge Company would win the bid for the demolition at just over $46 million dollars.
Aetna beat out the other bidding company, which was Manafort Brothers Inc.
Initial estimates from the announcement back in March had demolition costs sitting around $30 million dollars.
Both bids ended up coming in well above that.
The full timeline for the bridge’s demolition and reconstruction is expected to take into 2027.
Bids for the reconstruction of the westbound side are set to close to close Wednesday, July 1.
Since adding two additional lanes, officials say traffic has returned back to pre-shutdown levels.