The Bennington Bridge 6 project over the Walloomsac River involves a full bridge replacement on the existing alignment, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans).
Construction began in July 2025 and is expected to be
completed by Aug. 28, 2026. Kubricky Construction–Jointa Lime of Wilton, N.Y., is serving as the lead contractor.
“The primary focus of work this season is to have the site ready to remove and replace the old bridge in spring 2026,” said Amy Tatko, spokesperson of VTrans. “The contractor installed new valves and water lines so the old water line going over the bridge could be shut off and removed along
Demolition of R.I.’s Damaged Washington Bridge Completes Ahead of Schedule
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee announced Dec. 5, 2025, that Providence’s Washington Bridge has been fully demolished ahead of schedule, a major milestone in the efforts to replace it following the structure’s abrupt closing on Dec. 11, 2023.
“We continue to make progress on the Washington Bridge project, and reaching this major demolition milestone is an important step forward,” McKee noted in a news release
from his office. “I know travelers are still feeling the frustration of traffic, and I want to assure them that we are fully committed to rebuilding this bridge as quickly as possible, with one of the nation’s top bridge builders leading the work.
“We thank Rhode Islanders for their patience as we construct a new, safe bridge that will improve traffic flow and shorten commute times.”
Tax Breaks Supercharge Equipment Investments in 2025
Qualifying new or used (new-to-you) equipment placed in service this year may be eligible for Section 179 and bonus depreciation deductions, allowing you to put real money back into your operations.
By Chadwick-BaRoss SPECIAL TO CEG
Qualifying new or used (new-toyou) equipment placed in service this year may be eligible for Section 179 and bonus depreciation deductions, allowing you to put real money back into your operations.
If you’re considering new equipment purchases before year-end, there are major tax advantages on the table. Recent updates to U.S. tax law have introduced new opportunities for businesses to reduce their taxable income through accelerated depreciation and related heavy equipment tax deductions.
In this article, we’ll break down how these 2025 changes impact equipment buyers, what to know before making a purchase, and how to position your business to take full advantage of year-end savings.
What Is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law on July 4, 2025, as Public Law 119-21. Among its many provisions, it restores 100 percent bonus depreciation, raises Section 179 expensing limits and expands interest-deduction eligibility for businesses investing in new or used equipment. This includes construction
companies purchasing heavy equipment. These updates make 2025 one of the most favorable years in recent history for equipment purchases. This means that now is the time to invest in equipment to expand or start your business.
Tax Incentives for Equipment Purchases
The OBBBA tax cuts include two incentives for companies to purchase heavy equipment, which can be used together in the same year to maximize deductions. The act increased the amount you can deduct under IRS Code Section 179 in 2025, as well as increased the limit on bonus depreciation in 2025.
For 2025, assets purchased must be put into service before midnight on Dec. 31, 2025, to qualify for these deductions. There’s no stipulation on how long they must be in service to qualify, but if you don’t make the deadline you’ll have to wait until 2026. We’ll take a closer look at each of these deductions and show how they can significantly reduce your tax bill.
Section 179 Deduction Limits, Eligibility
IRS Code Section 179 allows businesses to deduct the cost of qualifying business assets in one year (subject to certain limits) rather than depreciating
If you’re considering new equipment purchases before year-end, there are
advantages on the table.
them over several years. This will enable businesses to recover the cost of assets they purchase sooner, as they can take the deduction in the year each asset is placed in service.
Assets covered under this section include any new or used (new to you) property used for business purposes, including:
• heavy equipment
• office equipment
• software
• other machinery or equipment
Under the OBBBA, the Section 179 expensing limit increased to $2.5 million, with a phase-out threshold beginning at $4 million. These amounts will be indexed for inflation starting in 2026. The same eligibility rules apply: the property must be used for business purposes more than 50 percent of the time and placed in service during 2025 to qualify.
Bonus Depreciation Rules, Updates
IRS Code Section 168(k) allows businesses to take deductions for purchased assets, similar to Section 179. You can take both of these deductions in the same tax year, but you must apply Section 179 first. Any purchases over the $2.5 million limit on 179 can then be deducted using bonus depreciation. There’s no limit on the amount see TAX page 20
Ponsse photo
major tax
Chadwick-BaRoss photo
Under the OBBBA, the Section 179 expensing limit increased to $2.5 million, with a phase-out threshold beginning at $4 million.
Volvo photo
Crews Remove Old West Haven Motel in Favor of Condos
A big payloader took a few hefty bites out of the roof of the long-closed Debonair Beach Motel in West Haven, Conn., on Nov. 18, 2025, to start the demolition process of the quirky old beachside motel with a colorful history.
But it will only be a matter of days before The Debonair, a once-thriving Connecticut shore fixture, succumbs entirely to progress and makes way for a modern condominium development at 295 Beach Street.
The old motel, built in 1959, is set to be replaced with a four-story residential building encompassing at least 30 two-bedroom luxury condos and various amenities, the New Haven Register reported.
Demolition crews began tearing down The Debonair on Nov. 18 after developers received final approval from West Haven’s Building Department. The process is expected to continue into December, NBC Connecticut reported.
If the weather cooperates, the condominium developers hope to begin construction in March 2026.
The dilapidated former 24-unit motel has remained vacant for years on prime waterfront property in West Haven. An unsightly piece of real estate, it was unfortunately highly visible because of its location on one of the city’s busiest and most scenic roads.
Demolition Part of West Haven’s Waterfront Renaissance
“Welcome, everybody, to the next phase of the Beach Street renaissance,” said West Haven Mayor Dorinda Borer at the Nov. 18 news conference to kick off the motel’s ceremonial demolition, although the actual razing did not until the following day.
“Those of us who grew up here in West Haven know the history of The Debonair,” Borer said. “The first half of its life was pretty good, with balls and formal dances and people coming from all over to come stay at this hotel, which is located across (from) the beach.”
But, she admitted, “the second half of The Debonair’s life has not been a pretty one.”
Borer explained that the motel suffered through one failed business after another and eventually became a seedy, unsafe building “and an eyesore that has been a detriment to this neighborhood, [and] the businesses and the quality of life surrounding the area.”
As a result, the city’s building department greenlighted the motel’s demolition earlier in 2025. Borer added that the project has been years in the making and reflects a broader effort to revitalize Beach Street.
She also expressed her gratitude to Joseph Iannelli and Jim Duch, partners in Duchinelli Development Co. LLC, which bought The Debonair a few months ago for
$2 million, for their plans to revitalize the 0.94-acre property.
Iannelli, a Fairfield-based developer, and Duch, the president of JD Financial Services LLC in Monroe, are preparing the site for the development of market-rate residences with such amenities as a swimming pool and a fitness center.
Borer, joined by West Haven Economic Development Director Steve Fontana, said the new project will complement the redevelopment of another nearby property that became the wildly successful Riva Bar & Restaurant and additional condos just to the east along Beach Street, according to the New Haven news site.
They are part of a cluster of recent and upcoming additions to the area, including Stowe’s Seafood, and a planned coffee shop at what had once been a bait store.
Many of the improvements along that portion of West Haven’s waterfront were enabled by the city’s multimillion-dollar raising of Beach Street to make it less floodprone.
“Once we knew we were going to be able to raise the road for safety purposes, we also
knew it was going to be a springboard to a transformation and rebirth of Beach Street,” Borer said.
Despite all the new development happening along the West Haven waterfront, she admitted that The Debonair still “stuck out like a sore thumb.”
“And that’s why I am so thankful to Jim and Joe for their investment in West Haven — so we can put the bow on this street.”
Developers Look to Make Shoreline Beautiful Again
As Borer spoke, Kathy and Rich Hebert, who live four blocks away on Blohm Street, were among those who had wandered by to take in the scene.
“We’re happy to see [the old motel] go — we’ve been waiting 20 years,” said Kathy Hebert when interviewed by a Register reporter. Herbert added that she likes what she has heard about the condos that will replace The Debonair.
“I came down here when this was still Savin Rock and they still had all the sheds” that housed concessions and games, explained Rich Hebert, referring to the for-
mer amusement park that made West Haven a revered seaside playground and regional destination for much of the 20th century.
“This was the Disneyland of Connecticut.”
“I guess [The Debonair] was a nice place in the ‘50s and ‘60s,” said his wife, but she added to her mind, “It’s always just been rundown.”
Duch and Iannelli are looking forward to changing that.
“It’s exciting to get to this point,” according to Iannelli, “although we’ve got a lot of work to do. It needs a revitalization, [but] it’s a beautiful piece of property.”
Once he and Duch begin construction of the new building early next year, their goal is to complete it by mid-2027. They are hoping to get city permission to add more than the 30 condo units already approved but Iannelli said he would build “whatever they give me.”
Duch, a former West Haven resident, said returning to help reshape the beachfront feels meaningful to him.
“It’s great to be back in this area,” he said. “It’s great to develop and be a part of this beautiful stretch of beach.”
City of West Haven photo
A big payloader took a few hefty bites out of the roof of the long-closed Debonair Beach Motel in West Haven, Conn., on Nov. 18, 2025. Mayor Dorinda Borer stands and watches.
Walsh Construction Leads New Washington Bridge Project
ferent area of the structure.
The full demolition project was completed in two major phases beginning with the deck and superstructure, followed by the bridge’s substructure.
Its deck and the superstructure were removed on schedule between July 2024 and February 2025. Shortly after that, demolition on the bridge’s substructure demolition began, with work on the underwater portions starting last July in accordance with environmental permits.
Throughout the course of the removal, numerous precautions were taken, including strategically stationing barges to catch the debris and employing turbidity curtains to contain smaller debris. Sensors were deployed to monitor noise, dust and vibration levels to ensure they remained within accepted limits.
During work on a pre-existing $78 million project in late 2023 to rehabilitate the Washington Bridge’s westbound span, consultants of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) identified a critical failure of some bridge components in a dif-
Those components, called anchor rods, were part of the original bridge built in 1968 and provided counterbalance for a cantilevered bridge structure.
RIDOT immediately moved to close the span to all traffic for the safety of the motoring public.
The Washington Bridge is actually a series of three bridges that carry Interstate 195, U.S. Highway 6, U.S. Highway 44 and U.S. Route 1A over the Seekonk River connecting Providence to its suburb of East Providence.
Efforts Gearing Up for Rebuild
Now that the Washington Bridge has been razed, work continues to progress on its replacement.
Chicago-based Walsh Construction, one of the nation’s leading bridge builders, has been mobilizing equipment and crews, securing permits, coordinating utility work and advancing the new bridge’s design
RIDOT render
Aesthetic lighting will illuminate the length of the bridge deck on its northern side.
RIDOT render
New travel lane configurations for I-195 West in East Providence will attempt to eliminate longstanding traffic congestion westbound toward Providence.
DEMO from page 1
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603-410-5540 Auburn, MA
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Equip. East Welcomes Chris Jackson as Marketing Manager
Equipment East, a multi-line construction equipment distributor serving Massachusetts and New Hampshire, has named Chris Jackson as the company’s new marketing manager.
Jackson, who stepped into the role on Nov. 10, 2025, brings nearly two decades of marketing, advertising and creative production experience — with roughly half of that time spent inside the construction equipment industry.
Jackson joins Equipment East after nearly nine years with another major equipment dealer, giving him a strong foundation in manufacturer relations, dealership operations, customer engagement and digital expertise.
As marketing manager, Jackson oversees a wide-spanning list of responsibilities that includes social media strategy, content development, web management, photography, videography, walk-around videos, print advertising, e-mail marketing and the creation of brochures, posters and branded merchandise.
“It’s a very all-encompassing umbrella,” Jackson said. “I pride myself on being adaptable. One minute I’m managing social channels, the next I’m editing walk-around videos, designing print ads or building out a
set of promotional materials for one of our manufacturer partners.”
Jackson added that producing videos — especially customer testimonials and equipment feature walk-arounds — is his favorite part of the job.
“Interacting with customers, hearing their stories, seeing the pride they have in their work — that’s really rewarding,” he said. “When we produce content that promotes both their business and our products, everyone wins.”
Jackson joins Equipment East at a time when the dealership continues to expand its footprint and customer base. The company operates four locations — Auburn, Brockton and Dracut, Mass., along with Bow, N.H. It is the region’s DEVELON dealer and also represents a range of complementary lines including Yanmar, ASV, Ammann, Gorman-Rupp pumps, Wacker Neuson light equipment, Husqvarna, Stihl and others.
Equipment East’s territory stretches across all of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, placing the dealership in one of the most active equipment markets in New England.
Jackson said that one of the biggest shifts in equipment marketing today is the diversity of buyers. With compact machines transforming the industry, small excavators, skid steers and track loaders now serve markets far beyond traditional heavy contractors.
“You’re not just marketing to construction companies anymore,” he said. “It’s landscape/hardscape, agricultural operations, utilities, pavers — the list goes on. Your messaging has to appeal broadly. You can include technical info for the people who want it, but there also has to be a cool factor, because so many machines now are very similar across manufacturers. Highlighting versatility, safety, cab comfort and operator experience goes a long way.”
Jackson said his experience tells him that manufacturer support varies widely, but the highest-profile global brands typically offer large media libraries, plug-in content tools and robust marketing resources. Smaller manufacturers, he added, often provide more flexibility — but require more creativity from the dealer.
“Either way, the key is understanding the customer,” he said. “If you don’t understand what matters to them, you’re wasting your time. Everything we create has to help customers reach their goals with their equipment.”
With technology and AI reshaping marketing at a rapid pace, Jackson remains committed to constant learning.
“You can never say, ‘I know it all,’ in this field,” he said. “The tools, the priorities, the platforms — they change constantly. I study what other dealers are doing, what manufacturers are doing, and I keep my finger on the pulse. It’s an industry where you grow forever.”
Jackson also expressed his gratitude for becoming part of Equipment East’s team.
“I appreciate Giovanni Albanese giving me the opportunity, and it’s great being part of a family-owned and operated local business.” CEG
Equipment East photo
Chris Jackson joins Equipment East after nearly nine years with another major equipment dealer.
Trinity Begins $40M Theater Renovation in Providence
The Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., held a ceremonial groundbreaking Nov. 10, 2025, for what it calls “a transformative renovation” of its Lederer Theater Center, marking the start of construction and the most significant facility project in the acting company’s history.
In addition, the event marked the public launch of The Public Square Campaign, a $40 million capital campaign to fund the project and ensure that the State Theater of Rhode Island continues to thrive for generations to come.
Originally built as Emery’s Majestic Theater in 1917, the historic Lederer Theater Center has not been substantially renovated since the early 1970s when Trinity Rep first purchased the building. The new renovation will bring Rhode Island’s Tony Award-winning theater into the 21st century, making the spaces safer, more accessible and more welcoming for all, while adding much-needed square footage to the facility.
Demolition work began in fall 2025, and construction will continue through early 2027, Trinity Rep noted in a news release.
“Today marks a transformational milestone for Trinity Rep and for Rhode Island’s creative community,” Katie Liberman, the theater company’s executive director, noted at the groundbreaking. “This project honors our historic home while ensuring that artists, students and audiences alike can access and experience the power of live theater in a welcoming, modern and inspiring space.”
So far, the organization has raised more than $34.6 million toward the project and seeks an additional $5.4 million to reach its $40 million goal. All new gifts to The Public Square Campaign will be matched dollarfor-dollar, up to $500,000, due to a generous challenge from an anonymous family foundation.
“This matching challenge is an extraordinary opportunity for the community to double their impact,” said Kibbe Reilly, chair of Trinity Rep’s board of trustees. “Every new gift helps us create a more accessible, sustainable and inspiring home for Rhode Island’s State Theater.”
‘A Truly Majestic Building’
The theater improvement project was designed by Flansburgh Architects in Boston architectural firm, with Gilbane Building Co. serving as the construction manager.
“The Lederer Theater Center is a truly majestic building rich in history and full of opportunity,” said David Croteau, Flansburgh president and principal. “Since its construction over a century ago, the structure and its subsequent modifications present
a complex task of introducing modernization and accessibility while preserving the original character that makes this building so special. These renovations and additions strive to achieve that balance. We feel privileged to be part of the theater’s continuing story and excited to see how this transformation redefines the experience for all, both inside and out.”
A major focus of the renovation is accessibility, noted Trinity Rep, founded in 1963.
To that end, for the first time in the acting company’s history, a new elevator in the venue will provide it access to every story of the building. Currently, only three of the building’s five stories are accessible without stairs. The improvement will unlock the remaining two stories — home to studios, rehearsal halls, dressing rooms and the costume shop — for artistic, educational and community use.
“Welcoming all audiences into Trinity Rep is fundamental to our mission and our values,” said Curt Columbus, Trinity Rep’s Laura H. Harris artistic director. “This project ensures that everyone, regardless of mobility, can fully participate in the life of the theater, whether onstage, behind the scenes, in our audience or in our class-
rooms.”
The addition also will expand public gathering areas and education facilities, creating a flexible, light filled space that serves as an extension of the theater lobby. It also will provide room for community programming, student workshops and events, while consolidating Trinity Rep’s administrative offices, currently located in rented space across the street.
With the addition, Trinity Rep’s entire staff will be under one roof for the first time in decades.
Outdoor Space, Chace Theater Also Due for Upgrades
In partnership with the city of Providence, Adrian Hall Way, an alleyway which runs along the northeast side of the theater, will be transformed into a vibrant public plaza featuring a pedestrian walkway, improved lighting, outdoor gathering spaces, new plantings and an expanded skate park.
Designed and maintained by the Providence Parks Department, the plaza will complement Trinity Rep’s expansion and activate a corner of downtown as a welcoming public space.
“The city of Providence has been a wonderful collaborator, helping to ensure that this project extends beyond our walls,” Liberman said. “Together, we’re creating a true public square for our community.”
In addition, the renovation effort includes the first major update to the Chace Theater — Trinity Rep’s 500-plus-seat upstairs venue and the longtime home of the company’s production of A Christmas Carol — since 1972.
Improvements in that facility will include new, more comfortable and accessible seating; flexible seating configurations; a new LED lighting grid; and a modernized stage infrastructure. These upgrades will ensure that Trinity Rep continues to produce work of the highest artistic quality and attract top talent.
“The new Chace Theater will be intimate, flexible and state-of-the-art: a space worthy of Trinity Rep’s incredible artists and the audiences who bring it to life,” Columbus said.
Trinity Rep plans to announce the Chace Theater’s official reopening date at a later date. During its construction, all performances will be held in the downstairs Dowling Theater.
Trinity Repertory Company render
Originally built as Emery’s Majestic Theater in 1917, the historic Lederer Theater Center has not been substantially renovated since the early 1970s when Trinity Rep first purchased the building.
OBBA Brings Depreciation Bonuses, Other Tax Incentives for Equipment
of bonus depreciation you can claim, so it can be used to offset purchases that are above the limit for Section 179.
Bonus Depreciation 2025 Percentage
Previously, the bonus appreciation rate was 40 percent, but in 2025, it was raised back to 100 percent and made permanent. It applies to qualified assets purchased and placed in service after Jan. 19, 2025. If you acquired an asset between Jan. 1 and Jan. 19, 2025, the 40 percent bonus depreciation rate applies.
Unlike Section 179, bonus depreciation can be applied even in years when the business incurs a loss, and it can be carried forward to subsequent years.
Here’s an example of how both deductions can be used to decrease a company’s tax burden:
• New/used equipment purchased after Jan. 19, 2025: $3,000,000
Differences Between Section 179, Bonus Depreciation
While both incentives allow businesses to deduct the cost of end-of-year equipment purchases in the year they’re placed in service, the key differences include limits on deductions and whether the deduction can create a net loss.
• Deduction limits — Section 179 has a maximum deduction of $2.5 million and a spending cap of $4 million. Bonus depreciation has no annual limit on the deduction.
• Net loss — Section 179 cannot be used to create or increase a net loss, so the deduction is limited to the amount of taxable income. Bonus depreciation can be used to create or increase a net operating loss and can then be carried forward to offset future taxable income.
Rental-to-Purchase Conversions
Depending on the type of lease or rental agreement you have in place, you may be able to deduct the purchase value of your equipment. There are two
types of lease/rental agreements: an operating lease and a capital lease. With an operating lease, you get to use the asset without owning it. You pay a monthly fee and have the option to buy it at the end of the lease for fair market value or a fixed amount (typically about 10 percent of the equipment’s cost). With this type of agreement, you can write off the monthly payments over the lease period, but you cannot claim depreciation.
With a capital lease, on the other hand, you own the piece of equipment from the outset, and that’s how it’s recorded on your financial statements. This type of agreement may be referred to as an equipment financing agreement or a lease with a $1 buyout option. Capital lease agreements allow you to claim Section 179 and bonus depreciation.
Note that even with a lease agreement, the purchase must occur after Jan. 19, 2025, and the equipment must be placed into service by Dec. 31, 2025, to qualify for the 2025 tax deductions.
Check with your local equipment dealer to determine your lease terms and explore the option of converting your rental or operating lease into a capital lease, which may allow you to take advantage of these deductions. You may be eligible for a credit toward the purchase price or other special discounts for a portion of the prior rent.
Financing, Cash ConsiderationsFlow
Companies can now deduct a much larger portion of interest expense because the high depreciation on new equipment is no longer counted against them. The OBBBA moved the calculation for the 30 percent interest expense limit from earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA).
What Is EBITDA Margin, Why Does It Matter?
EBITDA margin — or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — is a key indicator of a company’s operating profitability. While depreciation itself doesn’t affect EBITDA, the timing of major equipment purchases can influence the overall financial picture. Leveraging 100 percent bonus depreciation in 2025 can
reduce taxable income and free up cash flow, improving a company’s ability to reinvest or manage debt.
Because many companies finance trucks, cranes or other equipment with loans, they can now deduct a greater portion of that interest, reducing their tax bill and providing them with more cash to pay expenses, employees, or invest in additional equipment.
Best Practices for Businesses
As the year ends, it’s a good time to think about purchasing assets to expand your business for next year. Here are some best practices to get you started:
• Always check with your accountant or trusted tax advisor before deciding about investing in equipment or other assets. Ensure you thoroughly understand the impact your purchase will have on your taxes and profitability.
• Don’t make a purchase just to reduce your tax bill. Make sure you plan how to integrate the new equipment into your operations and know that you can support it financially.
• Combine Section 179 and bonus depreciation deductions. Apply Section 179 first up to its limit, then apply bonus depreciation to the remaining costs. This allows you to write off nearly the entire cost of the equipment in the first year, even if you’re financing.
• If you have operating leases, talk to your dealer about converting them to capital leases so you can take advantage of the deductions available.
• Equipment purchases (or rental conversions) intended to be deducted in 2025 must be contracted and placed in service by Dec. 31, 2025. Missing that window (or having a contract signed too early) can downgrade a 100 percent bonus depreciation to 40 percent or prevent expensing altogether.
• Keep and maintain all documentation related to equipment purchases and financing.
(Disclaimer: U.S. tax law is complicated. There are many limits, exclusions and special rules. The information in this article is not and should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Each business situation is unique, and tax regulations are subject to frequent changes. We strongly recommend consulting your tax advisor to determine how these tax-saving opportunities apply to your specific situation.)
Washington Bridge Project Adds More Lanes, Ambient Lights
through detailed surveying and 3-D scanning to guide and refine the structure’s look.
Construction of the new westbound side of the Washington Bridge is under way, according to RIDOT.
In the initial months of this project, the design-build team has been busy with a wide range of other tasks, including surveying the site, drilling for borings, obtaining all necessary permits, ordering materials, fabricating steel in off-site mills and factories and mobilizing workers and equipment.
The work is projected to last 25 months and its traffic lanes are tentatively slated to open on Nov. 3, 2028.
RIDOT noted that the new Washington Bridge’s design, which is both pragmatic and efficient, has been executed by the contractor twice before, making this build even easier and quicker to do. It also will reduce the length of the bridge by 459 ft. by cutting back on the number of supporting piers.
In addition, the bridge will be brand new from its substructure to the road deck and have a 100-year lifespan. When complete, it will support the 80,000 vehicles that cross it daily.
Traffic mitigation measures include addressing the historical backup in commuter traffic coming west on the bridge from the Massachusetts state line. There will be five through lanes over the new bridge in addition to a new on-ramp to I195 west from Gano Street and an off-ramp from I-195 west to Waterfront Drive.
RIDOT added that the rebuilding project will not only repair and pave the new road deck but replace the bridge’s drainage structures.
Among the new Washington Bridge’s other features are:
• New travel lane configurations for I-195 West in East Providence to eliminate longstanding traffic congestion westbound toward Providence. This will provide an additional travel lane approaching the bridge. To do so, the contractor will widen I-195 West to provide three lanes instead of four between the Broadway on-ramp and the Washington Bridge, replace the Potter Street overpass and relocate an existing pier connected to the off-ramp from I-195 East to Taunton Avenue.
• Its construction upon an entirely new substructure. The removal of the old substructure was added to the demolition project last fall.
• Aesthetic lighting that will illuminate the length of the bridge deck on its northern side. Prefabricated arches also will be built over local streets on both the Providence and East Providence sides of the river to mimic the look the original Washington Bridge.
The project is fully funded, in part, through $221 in competitive federal grants and GARVEE bonds. The full cost of the new construction is $427.9 million, of which the state has already paid $18.99 million of its portion of the replacement bridge’s price tag.
The completion of the bridge replacement and redevelopment project will advance the key objectives of both RIDOT and the U.S. DOT, improving a critical piece of highway infrastructure in the heart of Rhode Island.
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Bennington Bridge 6 Project Plans for Summer 2026 Finish
Remaining work this year includes tree cutting; relining the existing sewer beneath the bridge; installing new drainage structures and culverts; repairing portions of the existing bridge substructure that will remain after demolition; and installing micropiles that will support the new bridge.
with the old structure. The contractor will also install a new sewer manhole and reline the existing sewer under the bridge to ensure it continues to serve the town for many years. Consolidated Communications is transferring its lines that previously ran through the old bridge to an overhead configuration to facilitate the installation of the new bridge.”
Tatko added that remaining work this year includes tree cutting, relining the existing sewer beneath the bridge, installing new drainage structures and culverts, repairing portions of the existing bridge substructure that will remain after demolition, and installing micropiles that will support the new bridge.
A full road closure is scheduled from April 13 to June 5, 2026, to allow for demolition of the old bridge and construction of the new one. During the closure, the contractor will pour a concrete pile cap over the
micropiles, set the new concrete bridge beams, excavate and place new gravel materials for the approaches, and complete the structure with new railings, guardrails, paving, and line striping.
Cale Gleason, project superintendent of Kubricky Construction, said the two-year project has already included several major steps.
“We moved the water main manhole and replaced the sewer line, which was lined with UV-cured pipe liner,” Gleason said.
“We installed micropiles down to bedrock, and the abutment will be poured on top to support the structure. Next, we’ll put in the water line and excavate for the sewer manhole lining.”
Gleason noted that Kubricky has used a range of equipment on the project, including a Cat M318 excavator, a Volvo ECR235 excavator and a Skyjack VR1056 forklift. CEG
(All photos courtesy of Vermont Agency of Transportation.)
Kubricky Construction–Jointa Lime of Wilton, N.Y., is serving as the lead contractor.
