The Henderson Bridge reconstruction project received a huge boost last week when the United States Department of Transportation announced via a press release on June 26 it had provided the state with an additional $25 million grant for Phase 2 "Multimodal Connections" of the endeavor, which is nearing its end stages.

The federal funding comes via the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Raise (RAISE) grant program, derived from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA and which was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The Henderson Bridge was one of 148 projects, 19 of which belonging to state departments of transportation, that received funding from the latest $1.8 billion tranche of grants, bringing the total RAISE grants to over $7.2 billion for more than 550 projects since the

“Receiving this latest RAISE grant is an important step forward for the Henderson Bridge and Expressway project, and will make travel safer and more efficient for commuters in Rhode Island,” Governor Dan McKee said in a press release.“Improving our roads and bridges is the key to our state’s economic success and job growth. I want to thank our Congressional Delegation for yet again delivering critical funding to help upgrade Rhode Island’s infrastructure,” he said.

The $25 million grant will fund a plan to create separate bike and pedestrian infrastructure, connecting the East Bay Bike Path, in East Providence, with the Blackstone River Bikeway, on the East Side of Providence. This aspect of the project involves demolishing an existing bridge, loop ramp and two traffic signals. Safety enhancements will prioritize protecting non-motorized travelers through dedicated and separated multi-use paths.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti was quoted in the same release as saying, “We are so grateful to our delegation for this funding that will provide for a number of important enhancements to the Henderson Bridge project. We will be creating new scenic overlooks, new connections to our bicycle and pedestrian network, constructing a new roundabout to make travel safer and creating new economic development opportunity for East Providence."

The bridge, completed in 1969, was declared structurally deficient by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation in 1996. The effort to replace it, at a cost of $84.4 million, began in earnest in 2021. The new bridge reopened over the last 18 months.

“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse – and today we proudly announce our support for 148 more projects in communities of every size across the country,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the news release. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, make it easier for people to move around their community, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and improve supply chains to keep costs down for consumers.”

In recent weeks, contractors are continuing to demolish and remove steel girders on the old bridge. East River Street/River Drive, from Waterman Street to Angell Street to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lane narrowing, and the closure of the Henderson Parkway eastbound bypass lane to Waterfront Drive southbound, are also anticipated weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This will allow for the preparation of final paving on Massasoit Avenue, from the roundabout to Dexter Road, the Henderson Parkway eastbound, from the bridge to the roundabout, and Waterfront Drive, from Waterman Avenue to Massasoit Avenue at Dexter Street.