Rhode Island will receive $125.4 million in federal grant funding to replace the westbound Interstate 195 Washington Bridge — nearly $100 million short of its initial ask, and one-third of preliminary cost estimates for the project.

As the case begins to take shape, Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern could become a household name — especially if it goes to trial as opposed to being settled ahead of time.

The funding is about $100 million short of what the state had been seeking, although federal officials said they're working to get more.

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation abruptly halted demolition of the Washington Bridge on I-195 West Tuesday to “preserve evidence” for the lawsuit against companies that have worked on the bridge.

Rhode Island is set to receive over $125 million in federal grant money to help replace the Washington Bridge.

The U.S. Department of Transportation "Mega" grant will pay a chunk of the cost, last estimated at more than $400 million, of tearing the old bridge down and building a new one. The Mega grant program is funded by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The Washington Bridge project includes a bus lane and a two-way protected bike lane from Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan to University Avenue in the Bronx.

Rhode Island has received $125 million in federal funding to help replace the defunct Washington Bridge, the state’s congressional delegation announced Friday.

Attorney General Peter Neronha said Friday the demolition work on the Washington Bridge will likely be able to resume in a matter of days, not weeks.