Please support local news coverage –

Donate Here

RIDOT conducts virtual town hall on Henderson Bridge plan

Participants view final plans for project expected to begin later in 2020

By Mike Rego
Posted 5/17/20

Most interested parties on both sides of the Seekonk River got their initial glimpse of what the renovated Henderson Bridge will look like during a first of its kind virtual town hall meeting …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Please support local news coverage –

Donate Here

RIDOT conducts virtual town hall on Henderson Bridge plan

Participants view final plans for project expected to begin later in 2020

Posted

Most interested parties on both sides of the Seekonk River got their initial glimpse of what the renovated Henderson Bridge will look like during a first of its kind virtual town hall meeting conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation Wednesday night, May 6. The event was held online due to restrictions on crowd size implemented during the coronavirus pandemic.

David Walsh, RIDOT's assistant director of administrative services for business outreach, led viewers through the roughly 90-minute gathering, providing renderings and details of the project, which will almost completely rejuvenate the 51-year-old span connecting East Providence with the East Side of Providence.

Work is expected to begin sometime in the second half of 2020 and the estimated completion date is summer 2024. The existing bridge will remain open throughout the duration of construction. Bids will soon be sought for the first phases of project.

Within the $88.5 million budget, the bridge will be reduced from six lanes to three, with two heading west towards Providence and one heading the opposite direction towards East Providence. A fourth bicycle/pedestrian lane is also planned, connecting the on-street bicycle networks in East Providence and Providence as well as the Blackstone River Bikeway.

The two outside motor vehicle lanes will have 3.5-foot shoulders for breakdowns. The three lanes, the officials said, also allow for flexibility to change traffic flows depending on accidents or future maintenance needs. In addition, according to the presentation, the new smaller bridge will provide better access management for future development of approximately 25 acres of land and will decrease the need for maintenance.

Other key details unveiled for residents and motorists in East Providence, specifically, were several, top among them being the planned merging of Massasoit Avenue and Waterfront Drive just past the existing ramp structures. The streets that now have direct access to Massasoit will still connect to what will become the new Waterfront Drive.

The bridge, construction on which originally began in 1967 and was completed in 1969, will also be lowered to grade on the East Providence side and access to and from the span in city will be done via a round-about. The name of the road on the bridge will also change from the Henderson Expressway to Henderson Parkway.

Anthony Pompei, a RIDOT Project Manager, explained the bridge width will be reduced by roughly half and the length will lessen by about a third. At its apex, the new Henderson Bridge will remain 42 feet high, allowing for continued commercial and recreational uses of the river and adjacent land. Mr. Pompei said the concrete pier columns and moorings for the existing bridge will be reused, but the rest of the span will be completely replaced.

Jamie Pisano, Chief Highway Engineer at VHB Design, said other important elements included in the project were several “traffic calming measures” to slow vehicle speeds. He noted during previous community meetings held on the project, many motorists and residents on the Providence side of the bridge expressed concern about the rate at which drivers entered and existed the span. He added, the 25 mile per hour postings will make it more “like a local road rather than a bridge.”
Key elements on the Providence side of the project are the reconfiguring of entry points from Waterman and South Angell Streets and the addition of sidewalk for pedestrians.

The 2,000-foot Henderson Bridge was declared structurally deficient in 1996. The planned renovation was announced in February of 2019 and following the influx of $54.5 million in federal appropriations, an effort led by U.S. Senator Jack Reed, the project’s timeline was accelerated.

A total of 450 people registered to participate in the May 6 virtual town hall, to which Mr. Walsh said officials “appreciate the passionate interest” in the project.

Details on the Henderson Bridge reconstruction project, including a recap of the virtual town hall, can be viewed by visiting http://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/Henderson/index.php.

Please support your local news coverage

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the local economy - and many of the advertisers who support our work - to a near standstill. During this unprecedented challenge, we continue to make our coronavirus coverage free to everyone at eastbayri.com - we believe it is our mission is to deliver vital information to our communities. If you believe local news is essential, especially during this crisis, please consider a tax-deductible donation. 

Donate Here

Thank you for your support!

Matt Hayes, EP Post Publisher

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.