FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 4, 2025

Contact: communications@ri.gop

Meyers: Three Years After Washington Bridge Closure, No One Held Accountable

WARWICK, RI – Today, Republican Party of Rhode Island Chairman Allyn Meyers released the following statement following the announcement of Peter Alviti’s departure as Director of RIDOT:

“Just over three years after the public learned of the closing of the Washington Bridge, and following Governor McKee’s subsequent promise of a “day of reckoning,” Rhode Island taxpayers have yet to see anyone held accountable for the failure to maintain the primary crossing point between the two ends of the state,” said Chairman Allyn Meyers.

“With today’s announcement of RIDOT Director Peter Alviti’s “retirement,” Rhode Islanders are reminded that poor leadership at the highest levels allowed drivers to commute for months over a bridge that was critically unsafe for travel,” said Meyers. “Serious warnings were ignored, blame was shifted, businesses have been forced to close, and the taxpayers are left with a bill of more than $300 million.”

“When seeking information about this once-in-a-generation crisis, the public and media were met with deflection and obfuscation,” Meyers continued.

“Rhode Islanders deserve leaders who proactively solve problems before they become critical and are fully transparent when concerns arise,” Meyers said. “The Rhode Island Republican Party calls for a renewed, urgent focus on repairing and maintaining our state’s bridges and roads, and even more importantly, for its elected leaders to finally be held accountable for years of neglect and failure.”

“Our Party looks forward to the election and appointment of competent leaders who put politics aside and prioritize the well-being of Rhode Islanders first,” Meyers concluded.