The Washington Bridge bypass lanes on Interstate 195 will reopen this weekend in Providence, Rhode Island — earlier than expected, according to the state's Department of Transportation.
The Department of Transportation initially said the process would take two weeks.
Director Peter Alviti and Gov. Dan McKee said travel times improved on Tuesday, according to WJAR-TV. Commuters found themselves stuck that day in traffic for hours — for a second consecutive day.
The westbound lanes on the eastbound side of the Washington Bridge shut down Monday after the Department of Transportation found a "critical failure of some bridge components." The repair work could take months to fix.
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During a press briefing on Wednesday, Alviti showed before and after photos of the bridge support pins from July until now, reported WJAR-TV. The support pins in the summer appeared to be fine.
However, now DOT engineers reported that there was "some kind of load imposed that created a kind of catastrophic failure in these supports," said Alviti, according to WJAR-TV.
He said the repairs to the westbound bridge will last decades, though the state will have to decide later down the road if it will have to rebuild the bridge entirely.
Traffic is being diverted to alternate routes for the first phase of the repairs, which was supposed to take two weeks.
As a result of the detour routes, small businesses around the Washington Bridge are being affected and are potentially losing thousands of dollars.
McKee and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley walked Wayland Square on Wednesday to meet with businesses to see how the bridge closure is hindering them ahead of the holiday season, reported WJAR-TV.
Aside from businesses, schools and day cares are also being impacted by the abrupt closure of the Washington Bridge.
The bridge disruption is causing students and employees to be late. Schools like St. Mary Academy in East Providence canceled mid-terms and an end of year trip, according to WJAR-TV.
The delays are so bad that the Department of Health recommended Wednesday that ambulances be used by pregnant women in the East Bay who are in labor and need to get to a medical facility west of the bridge immediately.
The Washington Bridge carries I-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.
