PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Though the R.I. Department of Transportation has repeatedly said engineers believe that the eastbound Washington Bridge can handle extra weight from two-way traffic, records obtained by Target 12 show state engineers had concerns earlier this year.

At an April 19 press conference to announce a third lane of westbound traffic would open on the eastbound Washington Bridge, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti assured the public that the added lanes of traffic would not impact the bridge’s condition.

“We had two brand-new reports done on it and they both came back and said that it’s adequate for the use that we’ll be using it for the next several years,” Alviti said at the time.

Records obtained by Target 12 show less than a week later, on April 25, RIDOT filed what’s called a “critical expense request form.” RIDOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin said the term for the expense request is standard and does not mean that the need for the expense is “critical.”

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