EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee isn’t committing to any timeline on when the Washington Bridge may be completed.

In March, state officials said they planned to reopen a new westbound Washington Bridge by 2026. That same month, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was in Rhode Island to tour the bridge, said he believed that would be an aggressive goal, but one that must be met.

When asked during a live interview on 12 News at 4 on Tuesday whether that timeline still held up, McKee said, “let’s find out,” backing away from the original fall 2026 deadline.

When pressed on whether the project’s end date would extend into 2027 or 2028, McKee declined to go into specifics. “As quickly as it can be done, as safely as it can be done,” he said.

Earlier this month, demolition on the bridge got underway but was later paused due to legal reasons.

The timeframe for selecting a contractor also remains unclear. The state’s initial request for proposals ended with no bidders, but McKee said “some action” is “imminent.”

Congressman Jake Auchincloss represents people in Bristol County, Massachusetts, who have also been impacted by the bridge’s closure.

“This far into this disaster, there needs to be much more clarity, and there needs to be much more confidence in leadership than we’re seeing right now,” Auchincloss said.

“What that requires is a well-scoped request for proposal that gives confidence to construction firms, that they understand what they’re being asked to do, they understand what the incentives are… that provides voters and taxpayers confidence that public money is being well-spent,” he further explained.

Rhode Island’s lawsuit against 13 companies over the bridge’s failure is ongoing. Providence Mayor Brett Smiley says the city isn’t focused on taking similar action.

“My top priority is to fix the damn bridge,” Smiley said. “Part of the reason we have the delay in demolition is because of pending lawsuits, and I think piling lawsuits on top of lawsuits on top of lawsuits isn’t going to get this bridge constructed any faster.”

You can watch the full interview with McKee on 12 News at 4 by clicking here .

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