Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt was in Providence Monday and took a tour of the Washington Bridge.
Bhatt told reporters that his agency will work with city officials to find the best approach for the closed westbound span and did not rule out total replacement.
He did not say how long it will take to make a decision.
No did he say how much it is going to cost.
On Friday, RIDOT began a new traffic pattern designed to alleviate congestion, by reducing the number of lanes on I-195 west near the East Shore Expressway on-ramp in East Providence.
Meantime, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley is calling on RIDOT to restrict certain vehicles from the Washington Bridge detour.
Two-way traffic is running in two lanes each on the eastbound span.
The mayor says the alternate routes are being torn up by heavy truck traffic, and he wants these vehicles to stick to I-195 over the bridge.
A RIDOT spokesperson says the agency is continuing to come up with ways to mitigate damage from increased traffic.
Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)
Photo: Michael Bradley / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images