Work on the East Bay Bike Path bridges came to abrupt stop recently, as CRMC officials voiced questions and concerns about the design of the replacement bridges.

During their Oct. 24 meeting, members of the Coastal Resources Management Council spoke about the width of the bridges, potential problems for people fishing off the bridges, and the increased tidal currents due to the removal of the old bridge pilings. 

CRMC officials discussed the issue for nearly an hour and did not vote on any of the variance or special exception requests filed by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Instead, the CRMC members voted to continue the topic until a future meeting. 

Without the permits, work at the bridges halted. 

CRMC officials said the width of the new bridges will present issues — the new bridges are supposed to be 14 feet wide, while the old trestle bridges were 18 feet wide. 

CRMC members said the four-foot difference could pose problems for fishermen. The design calls for two-foot-wide sidewalks, instead of the previous four-foot-wide sidewalks, and that is not enough room for people fishing from the bike path bridges, CRMC members said. In addition, the sidewalks will not be elevated, as they were with the previous bridges.

“I think your design is setting up conflicts,” one member of the CRMC told DOT officials who attended the Oct. 24 meeting. “It’s a recipe for conflicts.”

CRMC staff also had concerns about the lack of clearance between fishermen and those riding or walking across the bike path bridges. The CRMC staff reached out to the DOT with concerns, but reportedly never heard back. 

Meanwhile, the DOT representatives who attended the Oct. 24 meeting said they were not prepared to give any type of presentation. They also struggled to answer many of the questions asked by CRMC officials and residents who voiced concerns. 

Andrew Prezioso works for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, which is the firm that designed the new bike path bridges. He said the narrower bridge design was necessary as the bridge will be “slid into place.” Prezioso also said some of the design was related to the economics of the project. 

CRMC officials asked about changing the design to have a four-foot sidewalk on one side of the bridge, but later said that would not work because people need to fish on either side of the bridge depending on the tidal currents. Prezioso also said that leaving no sidewalk on one side would eliminate the buffer for those riding bikes across the bridges. 

DOT officials said the contract for the design and construction of the bridges had already been awarded. They said the estimated cost of the project was $17 million. 

CRMC members seemed a bit surprised to learn that the designs were already finalized, despite the CRMC not yet approving the DOT’s two variance requests and three special exception requests. CRMC members asked how much it would cost to add two more feet of width on either side the bridges. 

DOT officials did not answer that question. 

Current concerns

Jane and Stephen Mainella live at the corner of New Meadow Road and County Road and own Atlantic Marine. The marina is located on the eastern side of the Barrington River, between the Barrington River Bridge and the bike path and opposite Police Cove. 

During the Oct. 24 CRMC meeting, the Mainellas shared a detailed list of issues facing their marina since the demolition of the East Bay Bike Path bridge. 

Jane Mainella said she and her husband supported the replacement of the bike path bridges, as the current detour has negatively impacted their property, but the removal of the old bike path bridge crossing the Barrington River and the dozens of old bridge pilings has resulted in some serious problems for the Mainellas’ marina. 

Jane Mainella said the outgoing tide now rips much harder through that area of the river, creating a dangerous environment for boaters and others who are at the marina. She read letters from boaters who experienced the dangerous currents firsthand — their accounts detailed how the new tidal flow had turned their boats, slammed them into the base of the vehicle bridge, submerged the channel markers underwater, and forced people to use additional ropes while tying up their boats. 

Mainella said that the new East Bay Bike Path bridge designs do not call for new bridge pilings — she added that something needed to be done or she and her husband would lose some of their marina. She suggested extending the land mass approach for the east side of the bike path bridge by about 150 feet to remedy the issue. 

As to the current plan, Mainella said “We strongly object to what’s proposed.”

Mainella said there needs to be a corrective plan put in place to reduce the dangers. They said they were expecting DOT officials to share a presentation at the meeting. 

Owen O’Rourke also spoke during the meeting and emphasized the dangerous situation created by the removal of the bridge pilings in the Barrington River. In addition, he said the design for the new bike path bridges will result in dangers for fishermen and pedestrians — “Someone’s going to get a (fishing) rod in the eye.”

Members of the CRMC agreed to continue the matter to a future meeting and suggested that DOT officials return with diagrams and answers to the numerous questions posed. The Council voted 5-0 to continue the item, and CRMC solicitor Tony DeSisto also stated that a transcript from the meeting detailing the questions and concerns be sent directly to the DOT. 

DOT responds

The Barrington Times reached out to the DOT with questions about the situation: “Are the bridges being redesigned to be wider?” “Did the initial design not accommodate space for fishing off the bike path bridges?” “Does DOT typically consult with CRMC on bridge designs when the bridges are over or near coastal waters?”

Charles St. Martin, a spokesman for the RIDOT, offered a brief response to the questions: 

“We are taking the comments made at the last meeting and we are working on solutions to those issues. The initial design did not prohibit, preclude or otherwise restrict public, recreational fishing access.”