Here’s how much it cost to delay the Washington Bridge demolition – and when it will be completed

The old westbound Washington Bridge is slowly disappearing, and the cost of demolishing the doomed structure is still rising.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation this week released a $695,000 increase in its demolition contract to compensate for the Aetna Bridge and JR Vinagro joint venture. Corp. for a one-month work break from September to October. The pause was attributed to a request by Attorney General Peter Neronha to preserve bridge evidence for the state’s lawsuit against bridge contractors.

This latest increase, dated Nov. 18, puts the estimated total cost of the demolition at about $99 million.

In addition to paying $695,000, the change order also extends project deadlines by one month.

The demolition is now expected to be “substantially” completed by February 21, 2025.

Last month, the DOT increased Aetna’s $45.8 million demolition contract by $38.4 million to include removal of the bridge’s substructure and support columns, rather than the original removal of just the bridge’s horizontal superstructure.

This change order also authorized the contractor to perform “special maintenance work,” which turned out to be repair work on the active east bridge. That maintenance work was estimated at $509,000, but the DOT said it would reimburse the contractor based on the scope of the work.

This article originally appeared in the Providence Journal: Washington Bridge demolition delay adds $700,000 to costs