Commuters stranded in traffic for hours after partial bridge shutdown in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — The sudden westbound closure of one of Rhode Island’s busiest bridges has stranded travelers for hours and caused others to detour from their normal path as the state’s congressional delegation sought federal funds to expedite repairs to emergency.

State officials said a critical structural failure on the Washington Bridge led to the closure Monday afternoon. The bridge carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to the state’s largest city. About 100,000 vehicles pass through the bridge every day.

“What is normally a 40- to 45-minute morning drive was 4 1/2 hours,” John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said Tuesday. He was able to work from home on Wednesday.

Repair work could take months. For the time being, traffic will be redirected to two lanes on the east side.

Gov. Dan McKee and state and local officials planned to provide an update on the response to the partial shutdown Wednesday afternoon. McKee was in East Providence with Mayor Bob DaSilva in the morning to assess traffic conditions and identify areas that need a change in traffic patterns.

“Public safety is paramount. “There are a lot of moving parts here and we will make sure the federal government does its part to help Rhode Island repair and reopen this bridge,” the state’s congressional delegation said in a news release Tuesday.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo said they wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the government to release existing funds that could speed completion of emergency work on the bridge. .

The delegation also asked for technical assistance from the federal government to streamline work on faster repairs, lane changes, detour design and shuttle buses.