Demolition contract for west Washington Bridge may be coming. Where's the forensic report?

PROVIDENCE ? If the McKee administration sticks to the timetable it sent lawmakers, a "tentative" contract will be awarded next week for the demolition of the westbound span of the Washington Bridge.

With June 28 as the date of the tentative award, it is also increasingly likely the administration will award the multimillion-dollar demolition contract without releasing the "forensic analysis." The analysis is being completed by a team of engineers to determine how the condition of the bridge deteriorated and who, if anyone, was responsible.

Where is the forensic analysis?

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. is under a Department of Transportation contract to write the forensic analysis expected to provide answers.

The analysis was initially expected to be made public at the start of March. Asked in early May when Rhode Islanders might see those answers, spokeswoman Olivia DaRocha said the report was still being drafted and the final version would be made public after it was reviewed by another engineering group and the state's legal team.

Asked again this past Monday when his administration would make the analysis public, McKee repeated what he has said since hiring lawyers Max Wistow and Jonathan Savage to investigate who the state might sue to recoup damages: "We're aligning that with the legal case."

Asked how much of an incentive lawyers will have to make public possible negligence by state officials while suing private contractors and their insurance companies, McKee said the attorneys have been given "marching orders that no stone would be left unturned," whether someone has deep pockets or knew something and didn't provide that information as required.

"We're not going to allow anybody that could have been prevented this or addressed this issue in a timely way to not be held accountable," he told reporters after signing the state budget, which includes $83.6 million for the state's share of the bridge reconstruction.

Is DOT on track to meet the Washington Bridge deadlines?

Earlier this year, upset East Bay lawmakers shepherded legislation to passage that requires monthly updates from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation on what is happening with the bridge.

The first of those reports, dated May 31, contained a demolition project timeline stretching from the initial issuance of the "request-for-proposals" on April 26 to a June 28 "tentative award."

In a question-and-answer exchange with The Journal on Thursday, DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin said the department is on track to meet the June 28 award.

How many in-state and out-of-state companies had applied? That won't be made public until after the submission deadline.

How can DOT award the contract without knowing ? and making public ? the findings of the forensic analysis? Has any company been excluded from the competition?

"No firms have been excluded at this time, but Barletta [Heavy Division] is still under a voluntary exclusion agreement with FHWA, excluding them from working on federally funded projects, including RIDOT projects," St. Martin answered.

No time for pre-meeting with DOT

According to a Q&A with unnamed bidders on DOT's online contract portal, the Washington Bridge demolition and rebuild project is moving so quickly there is no time for potential bidders to meet with DOT or their project team before submitting their bids.

One potential bidder requested a 1-to-1 meeting with the DOT to "clarify and resolve identified issues," or at least have a pre-proposal conference with DOT. In their answer, DOT said that "due to the limited procurement time," such a meeting was not "feasible."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge: No answers on what went wrong but demo contract near