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Rhode Island
Aetna Bridge Co. awarded state contract to demolish westbound Washington Bridge • Rhode Island Current
The Warwick-based company that previously worked on the westbound Washington Bridge before its sudden closure last December is the state’s choice to tear it down.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s (RIDOT) public bid portal Friday afternoon revealed Aetna Bridge Co. was awarded a tentative contract to demolish the bridge by March 2025.
Aetna was one of two vendors that responded to RIDOT’s request for proposals. The other bidder was Manafort Brothers Inc., headquartered in Plainville, Connecticut, but has an office in Cumberland.
Manafort will receive $100,000 as part of the state’s incentive to attract bidders.
Aetna estimated the cost to demolish the bridge was $45.8 million — over $5 million more than the state’s price tag. Manafort’s bid was for $43.8 million. The overall cost to demolish and rebuild the westbound highway over the Seekonk River is tagged at over $400 million.
A technical review group found that Aetna’s plan was overall a better value and at they indicated they could do the work in 50 days fewer than the bid request asked for, said RIDOT Communications Director Liz Pettengill.
“Secondly, they are assuming all the risk,” she said.
The demolition process is divided into four parts: the Gano Street ramp, west end of the bridge, east cantilever spans, and east end of the structure. The initial RFP noted that the existing substructure “shall remain in place for the potential repair and reuse” in the reconstruction of the bridge.
RIDOT plans to impose a $30,000 daily “disincentive” if Aetna misses the March 20, 2025 completion date. Meanwhile, the department is still soliciting bids for the roughly $368 million contract to rebuild a new bridge by August 2026.
Final bids are due July 3.
Aetna had previously worked on the now-canceled $78 million rehabilitation of the Washington Bridge as part of a design-build team led by Barletta Heavy Division. The project came to a stop after engineers last December discovered broken anchor rods that put the westbound lanes of I-195 at risk of collapse.
The company was also one of 12 contractors that received a letter from lawyers for Gov. Dan McKee’s administration notifying them that they may be sued over Washington Bridge work.
“Aetna Bridge Company is proud to be identified as the ‘apparent best value respondent’ by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation,” Aetna spokesperson Frank McMahon said in an emailed statement.
“With over 79 years of experience in bridge construction, repair, and demolition, our team is ready to get to work on this critical transportation infrastructure project for the State of Rhode Island,” he continued
Aetna is also working on the ongoing rehabilitation of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge linking New London and Groton, Connecticut, via I-95. That project is expected to be completed June 25, 2025, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
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CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police are investigating a crash that happened on I-295 North in Cumberland Tuesday night.
The crash happened in the right lane near Exit 22 just before 9 p.m.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the crash or if anyone was injured.
12 News has reached out to Rhode Island State Police for more information but has not heard back.
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Scandals shake up Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections
Congressional reporter Zachary Schermele dives into the latest scandals on Capitol Hill and how they’re shaking up politics ahead of midterms.
Rhode Island’s Democrat and Republican primary elections will officially be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 this year, instead of the usual Tuesday election day.
Lawmakers passed the bill at the urging of state and local officials, who were concerned that an election day falling the day after Labor Day would not give them enough time to set up polls for the arrival of voters.
Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill on April 20, officially moving the primary day for 2026.
Which races will be on the ballot? The Republican and Democrat nominees for a swath of local offices – most notably governor but also lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Why was RI’s primary day moved?
At a hearing on the bill earlier this year, Randy Rossi, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns explained the “significant logistical and financial challenges” municipalities otherwise would have faced having an election the day after Labor Day.
“Beyond cost, municipalities face serious logistical challenges accessing and setting up more than 430 polling locations on a major federal holiday, a process that often requires many hours and access to facilities that are typically closed and unstaffed on Labor Day,” he said.
“Compounding these challenges, many municipalities conduct early voting in city or town halls that must also serve as primary day polling locations,” Rossi noted.
Without changes to current law, he said, “municipalities would be required to conduct early voting and primary day polling simultaneously, often in the same limited space and with the same poll workers, requiring additional staffing and facilities.”
By the time this legislative hearing took place in January, other states facing similar issues, including Massachusetts, had already adjusted their primary dates, “and Rhode Island itself has demonstrated that alternative scheduling can be successful, as occurred during the statewide Wednesday primary in 2018,” Rossi said.
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’re looking to satisfy you’re sweet tooth, look no further than Division Street.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island bakery in East Greenwich earlier this month. The new bakery is situated within East Greenwich Square, which is also home to the Ocean State’s first Crumbl.
The bakery is known for its handcrafted specialty Bundt cakes, as well as smaller “Bundtlets,” and bite-sized “Bundtinis,” that come in a variety of flavors.
“There’s a strong sense of local pride, creativity, and community here that aligns perfectly with our values,” said Jake Williams, who owns the East Greenwich bakery. “We were drawn to the area’s vibrant small business culture and the opportunity to contribute something special.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes is also expected to open another bakery at Chapel View in Cranston later this year.
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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
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