Nine minutes was all the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) needed Friday to update commuters about the demolition of westbound Washington Bridge, which is scheduled to resume early next week after an almost monthlong pause.
The update was given at a virtual public meeting — RIDOT’s first such since the bridge closed last December — though it served more as a presentation where staff outlined what has already been torn down, along with what to expect when work starts Tuesday, Oct. 15. RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. was not on the call.
Demolition, which began mid-August by Warwick-based Aetna Bridge Co., was put on pause Sept. 17 for the state’s legal team to preserve evidence in its ongoing lawsuit against the 13 firms who previously worked on the bridge. The westbound Washington Bridge — which had carried about 96,000 vehicles per day between East Providence and Providence — suddenly closed in December after engineers discovered broken anchor rods that put the highway at risk of collapse.
Three days after demolition was halted, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters the pause would last “days, not weeks.” Office spokesperson Timothy Rondeau declined to comment Friday why the evidence preservation went on for nearly a month.
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Road closures on the way
Starting at 7 p.m Tuesday, RIDOT will close a section of Waterfront Drive in East Providence by the overpass for approximately one week as demolition resumes. Drivers will be directed to a detour on Valley Street — a portion of which is gravel, according to RIDOT.
Gano Street in Providence will be closed Sunday through Thursday nights at the Interstate 195 overpass from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. — with potential for a full weekend closure in late October.
At the time of the pause, crews removed asphalt and “most of the existing concrete barrier,” Assistant Project Manager Steve Soderland said during the presentation.
“And in the Gano Street area, we’ve removed much of the concrete bridge deck,” he said.
Soderland acknowledged frustrations neighborhood residents have had about loud construction noises, saying it would only last at most three more days once demolition resumes.
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“Night work will continue throughout the remainder of the project, but will produce less noise similar to typical construction activities,” Soderland said.
Timeline still up in the air
The edges of the bridge are expected to be completely torn down by November — at which point the demolition crew will work on removing the center section over the Seekonk River. That’s expected to take up to four months, Soderland said.
The superstructure of the bridge was expected to be torn down by the end of January, according to the proposal Aetna submitted to RIDOT. But whether that is still feasible is unclear.
RIDOT Communications Director Liz Pettengill acknowledged the Rhode Island Current’s inquiry on the project timeline, but did not respond by publication Friday evening.
That’s not the only aspect of the project still in limbo. RIDOT has yet to open a new bidding process to rebuild the highway. The initial request for proposals (RFP) — posted April 30 with a July 3 deadline to respond — drew no bidders.
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“No date for the RFP yet,” Pettengill said in an email.
With so much in question, Providence City Councilor John Goncalves, whose ward includes the Washington Bridge site, criticized RIDOT on social media for holding such a short meeting.
“I’ve got Fox Point constituents blowing up my line trying to get real answers,” he said.
RIDOT did allow those who attended the Zoom meeting to upload comments, but they were not made public — nor were they answered during the meeting. Pamela Cotter, the department’s director of planning said answers would be posted regularly on the Washington Bridge project website “over the next few weeks.”
Those who missed Friday’s presentation can submit questions on the demolition’s public input website through Friday, Oct. 18. A recording of the meeting will be online Tuesday, Oct. 15.
PROVIDENCE — An inmate at Rhode Island’s Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston who walked off a work assignment on Thursday remains at large on Friday morning, officials said.
Authorities are searching for 26-year-old Joshua Torres. Court records show Torres was most recently convicted in 2022 on a pair of weapons-related charges.
He was also convicted in 2016 for burglary, first-degree robbery, and conspiracy, the filings show.
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In a statement, J.R. Ventura, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, said the inmate, who had been held in the Minimum Security facility, was “working outside and walked away (absconded) from his job assignment.”
“The matter is under investigation by the ACI’s Investigative Unit,” Ventura said.
Authorities in Rhode Island are searching for Joshua Torres, 26, an inmate at the Adult Correctional Institutions who allegedly walked off a work assignment on Thursday.RI Department of Corrections
Michael Winquist, chief of Cranston police, told the Globe on Friday that the unit and Rhode Island State Police were “investigating the escape and attempting to apprehend the inmate.”
“There is no information to suggest the escapee is still in Cranston,” Winquist wrote in a text message.
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Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
The seven-story PVD Labs building under construction in Providence will include a 30,000 wet and dry lab incubator under a tentative agreement approved by the Rhode Island Life Science Hub board on Thursday. (Rendering courtesy of Ancora L&G)
Rhode Island’s first, dedicated incubator for start-up life science companies now has a home, and a developer under a $10 million, non-binding contract approved by the Rhode Island Life Science Hub board Thursday.
The quasi-public state agency’s unanimous vote came minutes after a closed-door, virtual discussion on the terms of state funding for the wet lab reserved for testing drugs, chemicals and other biological material. A term sheet outlining details of the partnership and public financing is not being made public until finalized, according to Jillian Scott, a spokesperson for the agency.
Broadly described in a press release, the draft agreement brings together the state’s nascent, life science agency with Brown University, the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission and developer Ancora L&G to house the much-anticipated state incubator within the new, seven-story health and science building already under construction in the I-195 District.
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The PVD Labs project at 150 Richmond St. broke ground in late 2022, with plans to house a new, 80,000-square-foot state health laboratory and offer 120,000 square feet for commercial life science tenants. Brown University, which has already signed as an anchor tenant with a corresponding $13 million, 10-year investment in the building, will sublease 30,000 square feet to serve as the state incubator.
The Rhode Island Life Science Hub is kicking in $9 million from its $45 million, three-year state budget for development and construction costs, among other startup expenses, with another $1 million from via the I-195 District Commission.
Neil Steinberg, chairman of the Life Science Hub, praised the panel’s decision as a “historic move,” that will help put Rhode Island on the map as a destination for life science innovation and investment.
Creating space for startup companies to research and test drugs, chemicals and other biological material was a key reason why lawmakers and industry leaders wanted a dedicated Rhode Island life science agency.
“The development of this lab space is a transformative step for the life sciences community in Rhode Island,” Steinberg said in a statement. “The project meets an urgent need for modern, incubator lab facilities in the state to support existing life science companies and attract new ones.”
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Ancora was one of three companies that submitted proposals in response to a competitive solicitation issued in April. Other bids were not immediately available, though the tentative selection of Ancora comes after a “comprehensive evaluation process” by a board subcommittee, according to an agency statement.
The Life Science Hub board still has to negotiate and approve a final, binding agreement, a timeline for which has not been set.
The incubator is expected to be open and operating by the end of 2025.
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Rhode Island is preparing for a high-profile diplomatic visit next week, as U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced that he will be hosting Dr. Kevin Rudd, the Australian Ambassador to the United States, for a two-day tour of the Ocean State. The visit, slated for October 15 and 16, will focus on expanding economic, academic, and defense partnerships between Australia and Rhode Island, particularly as part of the broader U.S.-Australia alliance.
Dr. Rudd, a former Prime Minister of Australia, will accompany Senator Reed on visits to several key sites, including defense manufacturing facilities, universities, and local businesses. The visit comes as the United States and Australia deepen their ties through AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership involving Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, aimed at strengthening defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
“I look forward to welcoming Ambassador Rudd to Rhode Island,” Senator Reed said in a statement. “Australia and the United States are steadfast allies, and through AUKUS, we are not only enhancing our national defense but also creating economic opportunities for our citizens. I hope this visit will increase the flow of business, commerce, and tourism between our nations, and particularly here in Rhode Island.”
Rhode Island plays a crucial role in the U.S. defense landscape, with facilities such as Electric Boat’s submarine manufacturing site in Quonset Point, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, and the Naval War College. These sites, along with the state’s growing defense manufacturing sector, contribute to Rhode Island’s booming Blue Economy, fostering technological advancements and innovation.
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Senator Reed, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been a leading advocate for U.S.-Australia defense collaboration. He recently helped pass AUKUS-related legislation enabling the sale of advanced U.S.-made submarines to Australia’s Royal Navy, a move that is expected to bolster the industrial bases of all three AUKUS partners.
During the visit, Senator Reed plans to highlight Rhode Island’s contributions to U.S. defense capabilities. On October 15, Reed and Rudd will hold a media event outside Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility, where they will discuss the significance of the AUKUS partnership and the role Rhode Island plays in strengthening the defense alliance.
The U.S. and Australian armed forces have a long history of collaboration, having fought side by side in every major conflict since World War I. Australia, which hosted more than 150,000 U.S. troops during World War II, remains a key U.S. ally in the Pacific.
Economic ties between the two countries are also robust. According to the International Monetary Fund, Australia is the 13th-largest economy in the world, and in 2023, total trade between the U.S. and Australia reached $47.1 billion. U.S. exports to Australia support over 172,000 American jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Ambassador Rudd’s visit aims to reinforce these diplomatic, defense, and economic relationships, further integrating Rhode Island into the evolving U.S.-Australia alliance.
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