"US Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Tours Structurally Deficient Bridges in Rhode Island and Washington"

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the deteriorated Washington Bridge in Rhode Island, which is one of several hundred bridges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island given a poor rating in a federal database. The bridge, carrying Interstate 195 westbound over the Seekonk River, is in need of replacement, with initial estimates for the project ranging from $250 million to $300 million. Massachusetts has 450 bridges with a poor rating, and the state is actively seeking federal funding for infrastructure improvements. Emergency repairs on other structurally deficient bridges have caused significant delays, highlighting the urgent need for investment in bridge maintenance and replacement.