RHODE ISLAND, April 26 - The Rhode Island Department of Transportation today posted a request for proposal (RFP) for the demolition project for the Washington Bridge. It is live for review by interested bidders at this web page .

The RFP invites design-build teams to submit proposals to remove the bridge superstructure. The demolition process is divided into four groups. Each group includes different sections of the bridge – the Gano Street spans, the west end of the bridge, the east cantilever spans, and the east end of the bridge – and has a required milestone date for completion. The final milestone date for completion of the entire project is scheduled for March 2025.

This manner of demolition allows for the safe removal of the bridge and will not have any impacts on the adjacent eastbound bridge. There are provisions for per-day rates for incentives for finishing before the milestone dates and disincentives for finishing after the dates. A maximum of $3 million is available to the selected design-build team for early completion. Likewise the design-build team would face up to $3 million in disincentives if it exceeds the end dates.

To further incentivize companies to submit proposals, the state will provide a stipend of $100,000 to the second and third runner-up bidding teams.

The RFP submissions will be evaluated and awarded based on best value to the state, a combination of the bidders' cost and technical proposals. Scoring of the submissions will be prioritized based on schedule, meaning teams with proposals to complete the work in the earliest timeframe will score higher when the state evaluates the proposals.

Final proposals to the RFP are due June 21, with interim submission requirements prior to this. The project is scheduled to be awarded and a notice to proceed issued by mid-July.

Further details on all submission deadlines, as well as the incentive program, are contained in the RFP.

In addition to the demolition RFP, RIDOT is developing a separate RFP to procure a design-build team to build the new bridge. That RFP is expected to be posted by the end of April. Both the demolition and new bridge construction projects are expected to begin in July.