Work is needed to repair the joints at the end of the span of the Washington Bridge eastbound from RI.

According to emails, contractors concluded that the concrete below the surface required “full-depth concrete repair” before the resilient material, called Emcrete, could be applied. And photos obtained by the Globe show that the concrete around the bridge joint has collapsed by as much as 8 inches, based on the measuring tape shown in those photos.

But the state Department of Transportation said a “full-scale concrete repair” was not needed “because there was no structural problem ‘throughout'” and said the fix was “standard repair work.”

“The joint mentioned in the emails is not part of the Washington Bridge deck or slab,” Department of Transportation spokesman Charles St. Martin said in a written response to questions about the emails and photos. “It is located outside the bridge on a concrete approach slab adjacent to the bridge and is therefore not a bridge design issue.”

October 21 In an email, Steven Aguiar, project manager for Aetna Bridge Company, asked state Department of Transportation project manager Anthony M. Pompei whether the crew should do a full-scale repair first or just start “filling the voids” with Emcrete.

Pompey replied: “Our bridge engineer recommends filling these voids with Emcrete.”

Laurie Manney, president of Aetna subcontractor Capital City Construction & Management Services, weighed in, saying, “Keep in mind that Emcrete is not recommended for use in structural repairs, per manufacturer recommendations.”

She sent Pompey a technical description of the Emcrete product and said that a manufacturer’s representative would be on site during the evening shift on October 21, when crews would fill the Emcrete gaps.

The DOT said “all parties” ultimately agreed that Emcrete was the appropriate material to fill these gaps.

St. Maarten said the emails and photos obtained by the Globe do not include findings from an on-site inspection and analysis conducted later than Oct. 21. “Therefore, the materials you have shared provide an incomplete and therefore inaccurate portrayal of the overall discussion and conclusions on this issue,” he wrote.

RIDOT provided a copy of an email Manni wrote to Etna on Nov. 4, the day the Globe inquired about the work, saying her initial impression of the condition of the joints was based on photographs provided to her. “From the photos provided to me, it appears that there will most likely be a major concrete overhaul,” she wrote.

But Manni said that Emcrete manufacturer representative Nathan Shushansky came to the site during the night shift on October 21 and saw the condition of the concrete.

“As an expert in this type of repair and the types of products that are best practices, he assured us that Emcrete was absolutely the right choice,” she wrote. “I stand by my original opinion based on photographs of the concrete and my findings from the product description.”

When asked what this work shows about the safety of other connections and the eastbound span as a whole, St. Maarten wrote: “It tells us that RIDOT and its contractors are closely and actively monitoring the condition of the bridge to ensure the continuation of the eastbound span. be safe for use.”

St. Maarten said this type of repair occurs regularly at deck joints across the country. “These are standard repairs for a bridge and slab joints of this age,” he wrote. The eastbound span of the Washington Bridge was completed in 2008.

The joint shown in the photographs is not the only joint that has been repaired, St. Maarten said.

The state also repaired a joint at the other end of the eastbound Washington Bridge span and repaired six joints at both ends of a separate span east of the Washington Bridge that carries I-195 over Valley Street in East Providence. None of those eight connections are on the bridge deck, he said.

St. Martin said there are four joints in the Washington Bridge deck, but they are not being repaired at this time.

“The connections on the deck are in good condition, but there are components that are nearing the end of their service life,” he said. “It’s like the tires on a car. Bridging connections are an element that require maintenance over time. Maintenance of these joints will be part of a future renovation project.”

There is no set timetable for this work, St. Maarten said. “It didn’t feel like it needed to be done now,” he said.

St. Maarten said the public was notified of the joint effort in weekly DOT emails indicating lane changes and road closures. The Oct. 18 email referred to “overnight bridge maintenance work” requiring the closure of up to two lanes of I-195.

The state has identified the need to repair eight connections as part of RIDOT’s “routine maintenance inspections,” which include tasks such as checking for potholes, sweeping, washing bridges and cleaning drains, St. Maarten said.

The state now inspects the eastbound Washington Bridge span every six months rather than every two years because it has twice as many lanes, he said. The last inspection was completed in April 2024, and another field inspection has been completed. The review has just been completed and the report is due in about a month, he said.

“We will be vigilant and be on top of the bridge at all times to make sure it remains in good condition,” St. Martin said.

Additionally, the state is installing new technology to monitor the structural condition of the Washington Bridge, but Kistler’sWeighing on the moveThe system, which uses digital sensors, “isn’t working yet,” St. Martin said.

According to the letters, the estimated cost of the collaboration was more than $509,000. Pompey told Aetna Bridge that “this work can be billed directly against the existing bridge special maintenance clause in the contract.”

Warwick-based Aetna Bridge Company was hired to demolish the west side of the Washington Bridge, which was initially estimated to cost $45.8 million. Etna is also among 13 companies the state sued over previous work on the Washington Bridge.

St. Martin said the joint repairs are paid for with state road maintenance funds, not federal funding.

Asked why Aetna Bridge was working on the eastbound span when the company was hired to demolish the westbound span, St. Martin responded, “Aetna performed the work in accordance with the provisions of the existing demolition contract, which includes a ‘special bridge maintenance’ provision.” This joint repair is essentially a special repair of the bridge.”

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Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @FitzProv.