Daily Briefing: What do you want to know about the Washington Bridge closure?

ALSO: 👔 Most stressful jobs 2023: Judges, nurses and video editors all rank in top 10 Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Tue Dec 12 2023 Will Richmond | Managing Editor Communities & R.I. [@Will_Richmond]( Good morning, I'm Will Richmond at The Providence Journal and this is the Daily Briefing. For 14 years I made the commute from Rhode Island to Fall River, Massachusetts, where I worked at The Herald News. That meant on an almost daily basis there were trips along I-195 and across the Washington Bridge. Many of those years included road work on the bridge in one form or another. Fortunately, I never experienced what's happening now. The announcement late Monday afternoon that [the westbound side of the bridge would be closed]( almost immediately was significant enough that it sent phones buzzing with an alert similar to when an Amber Alert is issued. Simply put, this sends the message that this is a big deal and is going to change the routines for a lot of people. [Bridge] Traffic merges onto Route 195 West at the Washington Bridge in August 2019. Kris Craig/The Providence Journal, file One of the first things my wife said to me last night was "Thank God you don't work in Fall River anymore." I was in full agreement. Now those who took traveling over the Washington Bridge for granted will find themselves facing a completely different commute that will likely have them shaking their head and asking questions about why they're in this situation. Hopefully, we can help. When something like this happens so quickly it raises questions. We've been discussing them in the newsroom, but know you have them too and we'd like to know what you're thinking. Use the form below or [click here to send us your questions](. We'll use them to help inform our reporting as we explore how we got here and what's next. This free newsletter is possible thanks to our subscribers. [Support local journalism with a subscription to The Providence Journal.]( WORTH A READ 👔 [Most stressful jobs 2023]( Judges, nurses and video editors all rank in top 10 📰 [Air Force disciplines 15]( for 'lack of supervision' after massive leaks of classified docs 🚘 [Why do Rhode Islanders love low-numbered license plates]( Here's what we found [Today's Weather]( ☀️ Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid-40s. TOP STORIES [Shekarchi to RIPTA, hospitals, Superman Building owner: Don't expect bailouts]( [K. Joseph Shekarchi with House Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski]( Speaker says changes to police officers bill of rights could pass, but he is not optimistic on free school lunches. [READ MORE]( Advertisement [The rotating-cube sign atop Hasbro's offices in downtown Providence.]( [Hasbro will close Providence office, lay off 1,100 people by Jan. 2025]( Hasbro plans to lay off 1,100 employees, in addition to 800 cuts earlier this year, and close its Providence office among slumping sales. [READ MORE]( [Jason Sugarman at his Maven's Delicatessen in Pawtucket. As a seasoned restaurateur, he hoped for a successful opening. But the crowds of diners compelled him to pause for a few days to regroup.]( [Maven's Delicatessen regroups as popularity leads to shortages]( The Pawtucket deli was slammed with customers on its first week. [READ MORE]( [Westbound traffic creeps toward the Washington Bridge in Providence in 2018. Not even the frustrations of stop-and-go traffic would be sufficient to allow drivers to lay on their horns under legislation under review at the State House.]( [RIDOT closes Washington Bridge westbound lanes]( The failure will result in the closure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge. [READ MORE]( [Doctor stock photo]( [Could these measures ease RI's primary care doctor shortage?]( A new report from the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner defines a pathway out of the dire primary care doctor shortage. [READ MORE]( Advertisement Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don’t miss out! We’re always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. The universal eNewspaper, the digital version of our print paper, plus bonus monthly magazines and hundreds of local papers. Original reporting of our hometown teams, from high school sports to the pros. [Unlock news for $1]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( Follow Us Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback](