WPRI Channel 12 was first to  report a draft review on the status of the westbound section of the Washington Bridge written by an engineer hired to investigate the shuttered section paints a grim picture on prospects of remodeling the 56-year-old span.

WPRI's Target 12 investigative team wrote, the 45-page document from Michael Murdock of VN Engineers Inc., "warns Rhode Island officials they need to either make major repairs to the structure or replace it entirely."

Further Murdock recommends the Rhode Island Department of Transportation consider “the demolition and replacement of the superstructure, and potentially a full bridge replacement.”

WPRI 's report continues, "Anything less than that, the report suggests, runs the risk that the bridge could collapse due to its severe structural problems."

Quoting Murdock's assessment directly, the cantilever design of the bridge, finished in 1968,  "poses significant challenges for its inspection, maintenance, and repair."

The breaking news of the engineering review comes  about 24 hours after RIDOT Director Peter Alviti and Gov. Dan McKee announced a plan to revamp the eastbound Washington Bridge structure into six lanes, three going in each direction, as an immediate attempt to alleviate traffic congestion created with the closing of the west side on December 11 of last year.

Alviti also said Wednesday, Feb. 21, state officials expected to receive the aforementioned review along with a handful of others from various firms tasked with investigating the structure of the bridge, sometime in the next few weeks, take it under consideration, then make a decision on how to proceed shortly thereafter.

Read the full WPRI story here...