Audit Finds Deterioration and Oversight Failures Behind Rhode Island Bridge Shutdown

A 64-page forensic audit obtained by the Rhode Island attorney general’s office attributes the abrupt December 2023 closure of the westbound span of the Washington Bridge to long-term deterioration, systemic neglect, and repeated failures in inspection and repair practices. The audit, drafted by Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE), documents a pattern of deferred maintenance, flawed rehabilitation efforts, and insufficient oversight that combined to undermine the structure’s safety.

The audit confirms that the state’s decision to close the span was justified on safety grounds but emphasizes that the problems revealed were not emergent anomalies. Rather, the audit traces the deterioration back through decades of under addressed structural issues. It identifies cracked concrete, leaking joints, corrosion, and especially compromised tie-down rods as critical elements that contributed to the span’s failure. The authors note that the rods likely broke due to a combination of outmoded materials, corrosion, and a failure by inspectors to recognize their importance to the bridge’s post-tensioning system.

Throughout the audit, multiple prior inspection cycles had flagged maintenance recommendations, but many of those were never implemented. The audit characterizes prior interventions as superficial, poorly coordinated, and insufficient to arrest long-term decline. Furthermore, the report holds state oversight partially culpable. It asserts that program managers, bridge inspectors, and designers should have, and in many cases could have, detected the evolving issues earlier. 

The forensic findings also cast light on future reconstruction plans: the westbound span will remain closed until dismantled and replaced. The audit estimates that rebuilding could cost up to $427 million. With demolition and emergency repairs, total costs may approach $570 million. The report recommends that RIDOT reexamine how it prioritizes work orders, safeguards critical structural elements, and ensures effective follow-through on inspection-based advisories.

Rhode Island has already initiated litigation against 13 firms involved in design, inspection, and repair work on the Washington Bridge. The state claims these entities breached contracts, neglected fiduciary duties, and failed to timely identify structural declines. Among those sued are major engineering and consulting firms that worked on the bridge over many years.