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

Rhode Island will receive $125 million in federal funding toward replacing the westbound side of the Washington Bridge.

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.

The R.I. Department of Transportation has stopped demolition on the defunct westbound Washington Bridge, which state officials said is necessary to “preserve evidence” in its ongoing legal battle. 12 News Reporter Shiina LoSciuto has the story.