You’re not dreaming. The Washington Bridge rebuild has finally started.

More than two dozen construction workers joined state and local officials gathered near the bank of the Seekonk River in Providence Wednesday morning to watch a crane on a barge hoist a massive steel pipe into the air before lowering it into the water.

That pipe is the first of 32 drilled shafts that will form the foundation of a new westbound Washington Bridge, which saw its physical reconstruction finally start after the old highway connecting Providence to East Providence was shut down over two years ago. Each shaft will extend approximately 130 feet to bedrock, creating the support system for the bridge’s piers and abutments. 

“This is a day we’ve all been waiting for,” Robert Rocchio, interim director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), told the crowd gathered on the construction site.

The event came a day after the Superior Court judge handling the state’s lawsuit against former bridge contractors appointed a special master to handle disputes between the two sides over access to documents, including internal emails from Gov. Dan McKee’s office. 

The Washington Bridge’s closure has been a significant political liability for McKee, who was famously absent from the first press conference hastily called on Dec. 13, 2023, leaving his former transportation chief standing alone at the podium with a touch of bronchitis to announce the westbound bridge’s sudden shutdown. Now McKee faces a tough reelection campaign with a deep-pocketed Democratic rival who keeps hammering away at his handling of the bridge’s closure.

RIDOT now even faces a state audit for efficiency and performance under the fiscal 2027 budget passed by the General Assembly.

McKee opened Wednesday’s bridge update praising his administration for its progress in fixing the bridge, and doing so earlier than planned. Demolition of the old bridge began in June 2024 and wrapped up Dec. 5, 2025, 10 days ahead of schedule.

“The Washington Bridge, again, is on schedule, and I think you’re gonna hear that we’re actually ahead of schedule,” McKee said. “We’re building a new bridge that will serve Rhode Islanders for generations to come.”

The state anticipates a completion date in November 2028.

“I feel very confident that November ’28 will be met or exceeded,” Rocchio said.

But officials declined to state how much sooner the bridge could be finished.

“You don’t spike the ball after the first quarter, but we’re in good shape,” Charles Parish, vice president of contractor Walsh Construction Co., told reporters.

The state’s plan for the new bridge calls for five widened lanes of travel over the westbound highway, along with an onramp from Gano Street in Providence and a new offramp to Waterfront Drive in East Providence. The original bridge had four lanes.

Once foundation work is complete, crews will build the bridge piers and substructure that will support the bridge deck, which Parish expects will begin by the fall. Concrete for the bridge deck is expected to start some time next spring.

“Not the best idea to pour the bridge deck in the winter here,” Parish explained.

“Not only will the new bridge have a 100-year lifespan and meet all the new modern standards for durability and safety, it is being designed to be easy to maintain,” Rocchio said.

State officials once thought they could get a new bridge built by August 2026, but that first timeline fizzled after no bids were submitted to the state’s original request for proposals. Walsh was awarded the construction contract after a second request for proposals in June 2025. The agreement has a base price of $339 million, but the total could climb to as much as $427 million, with incentives and contingencies.

Meanwhile, the state’s lawsuit against the 13 firms that performed work on the old bridge for negligence is starting to heat up. That case is scheduled to go to trial in 2027, but contractors have been crying foul amid the discovery process.

Barletta/Aetna I-195 Washington Bridge North Phase 2 JV in a status report filed June 5 claim the state has failed to produce requested material, including internal emails from McKee’s office.

“To date, the JV has received only a handful of documents, limited to a narrow period of time, and the state has refused to supplement or produce additional responsive materials, or provide any substantive explanation for the dearth of information after receipt of the JV’s deficiency letter on this issue,” the report states. “The State has also promised a supplemental privilege log, which also has not been received.” 

The squabble was first reported by WPRI-12 Tuesday.

McKee insists his office is cooperating.

“We’re providing the information that needs to be provided,” McKee told reporters.

Superior Court Judge Brian Stern on Tuesday named retired Judge Netti Vogel to manage an impasse over discovery material and ensure the parties meet a court-ordered deadline of Sept. 17.