Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner said over the weekend that they support the federal investigation into the Washington Bridge closure, according to NBC affiliate WJAR.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General notified the Rhode Island Department of Transportation on Jan. 26 that they were investigating the closure of the bridge.
"It's an appropriate thing for there to be an independent review of what happened, how the bridge got to the state that it was in and who, if anyone, needs to be held accountable," Magaziner told WJAR on Sunday.
"It's appropriate, it's important. I want to get it done expeditiously, so we can get to the reconstruction," added Reed.
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It could take until early March for officials to decide on the future of the Washington Bridge, according to WJAR, because the Department of Transportation said it needs engineering reports.
Meanwhile, Reed and Magaziner told WJAR that they've been in contact with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and are working to ensure that federal assistance is available.
The westbound side of the Washington Bridge was shut down on Dec. 11 because of a "critical failure of some bridge components."
The bridge carries Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to Rhode Island's largest city. It carries close to 100,000 vehicles every day.
