PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WHDH) - Crews in Rhode Island are beginning work to fix the failing Washington Bridge, which closed unexpectedly Monday night.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said they found eight of the 10 pins that hold the bridge in place had been snapped, with large gaps left in beams as a result.
Officials said if the westbound side had remained open, it could have collapsed. Repairs could take at least three months.
“Old structures tend to fail more rapidly once they begin to go,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti. “In this case, our inspectors and our construction engineers caught it before it became a catastrophe.”
The bridge closure led to massive traffic backups Tuesday, some of which reached all the way into Massachusetts.
More information, detour maps and alternate routes can be found here.
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