If seeing is believing, the single foundation shaft resting on the bank of the Seekonk River below an open sky where the westbound Washington Bridge once loomed offers little reassurance.
Nor does Gov. Dan McKee’s repeated promise that the replacement highway construction is progressing well, even ahead of schedule.
Enter animation. The 2 minute and 30-second video unveiled at a press conference Wednesday afternoon and now available online seeks to fill the void of public information. The video shows an animated aerial rendering of the transformation of the area between Providence and East Providence. It starts with the temporary access trestle already in place for construction crews to begin drilling foundation shafts — like the one resting along the river banks — into the riverbed. As construction progresses, viewers see dates flash along the bottom lefthand side of the video: fall 2026, summer 2027, and, finally, fall 2028, the expected opening of the new bridge.
“You can really envision what’s going to happen here,” McKee said, standing in the underpass of the adjacent, eastbound Washington Bridge along Gano Street in Providence as cranes beeped in the background. “We wanted to make sure people feel as though this is a point to be very involved, and understanding what’s happening.”
Walsh used in-house designers to create this animated video released Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026 — no AI involved — a senior project manager confirmed.
Less than 24 hours earlier, McKee’s Democratic primary opponent, Helena Buonanno Foulkes, criticized his handling of the Washington Bridge closure and rebuild as the two squared off in their third and final debate of the primary election cycle. On Thursday, Rhode Island voters will begin to cast ballots in the high-profile gubernatorial primary as designated early voting locations open in every municipality.
McKee dismissed questions by reporters about the timing of the bridge update in the midst of his reelection campaign.
“We’re just wanting you to know what’s happening here,” he said.
The biggest questions looming over the project — cost and completion date — remain hazy. The state’s contract with Walsh Construction Co. — awarded through a competitive bidding process that took two rounds to yield any legitimate proposals — calls for a base price of $339 million, but could reach up to $428 million with incentives and contingencies.
That’s still the range, confirmed Robert Rocchio, interim director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. But he sidestepped questions about a narrower range for a final price tag or how various scenarios of early completion might impact bonuses for Walsh.
And while McKee and Rocchio repeatedly hinted at the prospect of an early completion date based on the existing pace of work, Rocchio declined to comment on the potential that the bridge could be finished before November 2028.
“Once they say an earlier date, that becomes the baseline and that’s what they get judged on,” Rocchio said.
Indeed, critics have been quick to remind McKee of his initial target to finish the rebuild by September 2026. McKee acknowledged Wednesday that the earlier deadline was “unrealistic,” while insisting the initial, failed bid for a bridge construction contractor had not put the state behind.
Demolition of the old bridge, awarded under a separate contract, began in June 2024 and finished in December 2025. The state inked a deal with Walsh in June 2025, allowing for prep work to begin amid the demolition. Underwater work to support the new bridge foundation began in June, though Wednesday marked the first day construction rose above sea level.
McKee lauded Walsh as “one of the best bridge builders in the country.” The Chicago firm also showed its prowess in animated design, using in-house designers to create the video — no AI involved, Ken Farrelly, senior project manager, confirmed.
Public outreach was a requirement of the state’s contract with Walsh, which showcases behind-the-scenes footage and project timelapses from other projects nationwide on its YouTube page.
Most of the bridge building work will be done off-alignment — keeping the eastbound bridge open to traffic to minimize disruptions to motorists and residents, Rocchio said. Some local roads in Providence and East Providence will have temporary lane closures, mostly overnight, in the later stages of construction.
Flanking McKee for the event was East Providence Mayor Robert DaSilva. DaSilva, one of four municipal mayors to endorse McKee in his reelection bid, praised the administration for its commitment to the construction project and to keeping people informed.
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, who has not endorsed in the governor’s race, was invited but unable to attend due to scheduling conflict, McKee said.
Carl Austin Miller Grondin, a spokesperson for Smiley, also confirmed that the mayor had previously scheduled commitments.
- 5:24 pmUpdated to include a comment from Providence Mayor Brett Smiley's office.
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