Federal investigators are probing allegations of fraud in work done over many years on the now-closed northern span of the Washington Bridge, they told Gov. Dan McKee’s administration on Friday.

It won’t help drivers stuck in Interstate 195 traffic, but it might shed some light on how a bridge that’s been ticketed for repairs for nearly a decade could get in such bad shape that it needed to be abruptly closed on Dec. 11.

What documents have been demanded by federal investigators?

In its Civil Investigative Demand for records, the U.S. Justice Department District of Rhode Island seeks bridge-related records going back to Jan. 1, 2015, days before Gina Raimondo was sworn in as governor.

Raimondo, now U.S. secretary of commerce, appointed current Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr., who launched an agency overhaul and bridge repair campaign they branded RhodeWorks.

One of the structurally deficient bridges identified at that time for repair was the northern Washington Bridge span, which carried I-195 West over the Seekonk River.

The DOJ demand letter specifically seeks materials – including texts, videos, emails, photos and notes – depicting problem areas of the main span’s support piers, known as piers 6 and 7.

Investigators want materials related to bridge “beam tie downs,” or tension rods, plus “beam seats.”

The tension rods hold down the cantilevered beams that hold the main span, and when several broke, “bouncing” was observed by inspectors, triggering the shutdown.

More: All options, including complete rebuild, on table for Washington Bridge, Alviti says in update

Investigators asked for all images and diaries of what was done at the beam seats, plus all invoices and progress reports from contractors.

The investigation “concerns the allegation that false claims for payment for services and-or false statements in support of such payments have been submitted to the U.S. government,” the demand letter says.

As with most big highway projects, the federal government is paying for roughly 80% of the cost of work on the Washington Bridge.

Who are possible targets of the investigation?

The probe could be targeting any of the numerous contractors hired by the Rhode Island DOT to build new lanes and ramps for the bridge, repair sections or inspect the bridge to make sure everything was going as planned.

Anyone who helped a contractor submit a false claim could also be targeted.

The DOT has until Feb. 26 to turn over the materials.

Have the feds brought similar cases in RI?

Yes.

In 2022, Dennis Ferreira, a former employee of Barletta Heavy Division, one of the lead contractors on the current Washington Bridge project, pleaded to making false reports about fill used on the Route 6-10 Connector project in Providence.

In 2017, Cardi Corporation, agreed to pay a $500,000 fine to settle claims it installed a faulty railing on the “I-Way” I-195 bridge over the Providence River, roughly a mile west of the Washington Bridge.

Who is leading the investigation?

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany Wong.

Wong was one of two attorneys who prosecuted the Ferreira 6-10 Connector case.

What work has been done on the bridge?

Although the structurally deficient Washington Bridge span was high on the RhodeWorks list of projects in 2015, it is not clear if repairs to the troublesome beam seats and tension rods were ever planned.

Shoring up the span has been part of a larger project that includes new exit and entrance ramps on both sides of the river, plus an extra westbound travel lane.

Cardi was the first contractor hired to work on the bridge, but the project was paused after the temporary traffic pattern used to accommodate work caused massive backups into Massachusetts.

When the DOT rebid the project, Cardi won again, but Barletta sued, claiming Cardi had unfairly used information from its prior work to undercut other bidders.

More: St. Mary’s, Washington Bridge shutdown will get a closer look from lawmakers in coming weeks

The Federal Highway Administration refused to sign off on a contract for Cardi and, when the DOT went out to bid again, Barletta won.

A news release for the October 2021 groundbreaking when work resumed under a $78 million contract to Barletta’s joint venture said the project “will address the structural deficiencies of the westbound portion of the Washington Bridge.”

A March update from the DOT said workers were continuing “bridge deck and concrete substructure repairs.”

Since the shutdown, Alviti has said repairs to the parts of the bridge at risk of collapse were not part of either the Cardi or Barletta contracts.

Who is working on the Washington Bridge now?

• AECOM is the consultant acting as the DOT’s “owner’s representative.” The firm also performed the July inspection that gave the span a clean bill of health.

• Barletta and Aetna Bridge Company lead a joint venture doing the construction on the bridge.

• Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. is the joint venture’s design consultant. The engineer who first spotted problems in the span worked for VHB.

• VN Engineers is doing “modeling analysis” of the bridge.

• Michael Baker International was hired by DOT to conduct an “in depth inspection” of the bridge.

• BDI is a Michael Baker subcontractor “monitoring for movement” on the bridge.

• WJE is a Michael Baker subcontractor conducting a “forensic analysis” of what broke.

• Consor is a Michael Baker subcontractor doing underwater inspections.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Washington Bridge federal investigation: What you need to know