RI lawmakers prepare for 3rd Washington Bridge oversight hearing

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Thursday will mark the third oversight hearing since the westbound Washington Bridge closure, but this time, former U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha will lead the probe.

John Marion, with Common Cause Rhode Island, called the move unusual.

“It’s unusual because they’re bringing in outside help and because of who they’re bringing in,” Marion said in an interview with Target 12 on Tuesday. “They’re bringing in the most former U.S. attorney, somebody who’s very well-versed in complex litigation.”

The lawsuit against 13 companies the state blames for the bridge’s failure has become a source of frustration for lawmakers and the public, with RIDOT limiting how much they can answer while the suit is ongoing.

“We had those two prior hearings, but we felt as though we were handcuffed at the time,” Sen. Mark McKenney told Target 12 on Wednesday. “We were advised by the governor’s office and by the attorney general’s office that we shouldn’t delve into any questions that might in any way impact the potential lawsuit the state is bringing.”

R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti is the only witness, and unlike previous committee hearings, he will be required to testify under oath.

In a live interview on 12 News at 4 on Wednesday, R.I. Attorney General Peter Neronha said Gov. Dan McKee sent him a letter “not long ago” asking if a member of his team would sit with Alviti on Thursday. He said he agreed to it.

“The instructions to our attorney are to let Director Alviti answer the questions. In other words, there’s not going to be a lot of interference by our lawyer with the process,” Neronha said. “We want Director Alviti to answer the questions. We’re not going to get in the way of those questions, and hopefully, Rhode Islanders will get answers.”

McKenney, who chairs the Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics and Oversight, and Rep. Patricia Serpa, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said they believe Cunha, who will ask the bulk of the questions on Thursday, will be able to get answers from Alviti.

“So, let’s see where the facts take us when he responds,” Serpa told Target 12 on Wednesday.

“We’re also keeping in mind that this isn’t necessarily as much about blame and pointing fingers as it is about making sure that we get the facts, we understand them, and we know for the next time what we need to do,” McKenney added. “This is about restoring trust in state government and restoring trust in bridges.”

Serpa said since the bridge’s closure, public trust in the state’s bridges has worsened.

“There are a considerable number of us who don’t like bridges under the best of circumstances, and we’re leery about taking bridges,” Serpa said. “There’s a lot of trust that needs to be restored. So, we hope to do that before this is over.”

For example, McKenney said he hopes to learn if proper maintenance was performed, if inspections done on the bridge were thorough and overseen, and if RIDOT was looking in the right places during those inspections.

“This is a very unique and complex bridge, and there’s a significant question about whether or not our state agency fully recognized the importance of looking in certain places, with respect to this bridge,” McKenney said. “That’s a little scary.”

Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz told Target 12 that she’s still anticipating some pushback because of the ongoing litigation.

“But the thing is, if the state’s at fault, we should be honest about it,” de La Cruz said. “It doesn’t matter if you live in East Providence or in Woonsocket. This bridge closure affects the entire state.”

Lawmakers asked for the latest hearing after Target 12 obtained a copy of the long-awaited forensic audit of the Washington Bridge in September, which showed that state officials should have been aware of structural problems with the bridge long before it was closed down in December 2023.

“The timeline is a big question,” de la Cruz added.

Some lawmakers said they have their doubts about whether the hearing will garner any new information.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t expect to learn anything new,” House Minority Whip, Rep. David Place, told Target 12 on Wednesday. “Everything that is out there is in the public record, and I think if there was a potential learn something new, the attorney general would not be giving the go-ahead to potentially swear the director in and testify under oath.”

Place said he believes the hearing will largely serve as an opportunity to appease the public and politicians seeking office next year.

“We’re in essence in an election cycle now and politicians are lining up to run for offices, and they leverage what they have now to benefit themselves later on,” Place said. “I don’t expect that to change one bit tomorrow.”

New this time, though, Place said about a dozen questions from the public may be submitted in Thursday’s hearing. He declined to provide Target 12 with the questions prior to Thursday.

“We want [Alviti] to, if we ask a question for the public, to get a raw answer from the director,” Place said.

Thursday’s hearing is slated to get underway at 2 p.m.

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