EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The R.I. Department of Transportation has stopped demolition on the defunct westbound Washington Bridge , which state officials said is necessary to “preserve evidence” in its ongoing legal battle.

State officials didn’t immediately provide a timeline for when the demolition could resume, casting a question mark over when the high-profile infrastructure project will get underway again.

“The goal is to be able to continue demolition as swiftly as possible while ensuring important evidence is preserved,” RIDOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin explained.

St. Martin added that the temporary closure of Waterfront Drive, which was slated to begin Tuesday , will not happen as a result.

The work has stopped just weeks after a construction company began tearing down the structurally deficient bridge earlier this month, much to the dismay of some who live nearby .

The evidence state officials said now needs to be preserved is tied to its ongoing lawsuit filed earlier this summer against 13 companies. State attorneys allege the companies, which all worked on the bridge over the past decade, failed to identify and address the bridge’s worsening structural issues over the years.

The bridge closed abruptly without notice last December after an engineer discovered a structural issue state leaders determined could have resulted in an immediate failure. The estimated cost to demolish and rebuild the westbound bridge is quickly approaching $500 million .

The Washington Bridge has been plagued by traffic backups in both directions for months, causing headaches for both commuters and lawmakers in charge of fixing the problem. The bridge needs to be completely rebuilt and is expected to be out of commission until at least 2026. It’s unclear how the latest delay will affect that timeline.

The westbound lanes have since been shifted onto the eastbound side of the bridge, since it is an entirely different structure that hasn’t been impacted by the closure. The state still hasn’t solicited bids for a development company to rebuild the westbound side.

A first effort to hire a company failed earlier this year when no business offered to do the work.

The state hired Aetna Bridge Co. to do the demo work at the same time it’s naming the company as one of the 13 defendants in the ongoing lawsuit.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Breaking News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.