The Ocean State Current is appealing to the wit and cutting cynicism of Rhode Islanders.

The Washington Bridge debacle that has inconvenienced motorists with massive traffic jams and has cost businesses on the East side up 30% losses in revenues … we recently found out … could all have been avoided.

As revealed in a recently discovered report, the RI Department of Transportation and its director, Peter Alviti, have known about the structural damage to the bridge for over TEN years!

Not only did they do nothing to fix the problem, they put countless Rhode Islanders and other travelers at severe risk.

And now, Governor McKee and other bureaucrats are engaged in a cover-up to try to shift the blame away from the insider government bureaucrats responsible for this negligence.

Instead of $8 million to repair the bridge a decade ago after the structural damage was first discovered, taxpayers will now have to shell out an estimated $300 MILLION to replace the structure … with most of the money going to benefit unionized construction companies … who Alviti once represented as a union boss. Talk about corruption.

Since we have to rebuild the bridge … why not rename the bridge while we’re at it?

How would you rename the Washington Bridge … and why?

Simply complete the form on this page.

Contest format: For the public’s reading pleasure and amusement, all entries can be viewed on a regularly updated post on The Ocean State Current by clicking here. Before the close of the 2024 legislative session, our staff will select our top-20 favorites, which will then be put forth for the public to vote on. The person who submitted the bridge name receiving the most votes will be awarded a $100 gift card to Dunkin Donuts, with the second-place name earing a $50 gift card, and a $25 gift card for the third-place entry.

Entrants are also encouraged to post their submitted name on X with the hashtag #renamethatbRIdge