BRIDGE to
NOWHERE
The Washington Bridge crisis has driven down sales for hundreds of small businesses , many of which barely survived the pandemic . Relief may be on the way , but is it too late for some ?
BY DANA LAVERTY PHOTOGRAPHY BY WOLF MATTHEWSON
Cassie Brimmer woke up sick to her stomach the morning of Tuesday , Dec . 12 .
It was the day after the Washington Bridge closed due to structural damage , and the owner of Rhody Roots , a Warren eatery that serves up sushi , comfort food and all-day breakfast , knew what small business owners would face in the months ahead .
“ We just did this with COVID ,” she says . “ Small businesses just took such a hard hit . Some just barely survived . With this , they will close within the year .”
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation closed the westbound side of the bridge on Dec . 11 , 2023 , after consultants found two failed tie-rods . The span is one of the busiest in Rhode Island , according to RIDOT , carrying some 96,000 cars a day over the Seekonk River into Providence and East Providence .
Vehicular pandemonium followed . Motorists seeking alternative routes clogged the streets of Providence , especially near the Henderson Bridge , Wayland Square , and South Water and Gano streets . East Providence thoroughfares were just as congested , with drivers queuing to get on and off Route I-195 , particularly on Warren Avenue , Broadway and Taunton Avenue . Commuters faced sometimes hourlong delays .
In March , Governor Dan McKee announced the bridge would be demolished and rebuilt . Initial estimates range between $ 250- $ 300 million ,
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l JUNE 2024 73