EAST PROVIDENCE — On schedule, one half of the the new Henderson Bridge connecting East Providence with the East Side of Providence over the Seekonk River is set to open by Friday morning, Nov. 17, with the other doing the same a few days later, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Traffic will flow for the first time on the reconstructed westbound span into the Capital City overnight November 16 into November 17, then in time for the Monday morning rush, Nov. 20, the eastbound section leading to East Providence will be available to motorists.

The early part of this week was used to finish guardrail installation while continuing electrical work for new highway lighting and new directional and regulatory signage installations.

In addition, the second half of the Massasoit Avenue roundabout and add waterproofing to the shared-use path portion of the bridge.

On Wednesday and Thursday nights, Nov. 15 and 16, from 10 p.m.-5 a.m., RIDOT closed Massasoit Avenue northbound at Wilmarth Avenue, and southbound at Broadway, to establish a new traffic pattern prior to opening the new bridge.

Following the November 16 afternoon rush, RIDOT will begin shifting traffic onto the new bridge and all vehicles will pass through the new roundabout on Massasoit Avenue.

By the end of November, RIDOT also expects to open the new shared-use bike path, completely separated from vehicular traffic, alongside the eastbound side of the bridge. It will connect Massasoit Avenue directly to River Drive in Providence. Until it opens, cyclists can continue to use the old bridge.

The state authority is also urging motorists who will frequent the bridge to bone up the new roundabout system in place at points of ingress and egress on Massasoit Avenue. RIDOT claims roundabouts have proven to reduce fatalities by 90 percent, and greatly reduce injuries and the severity of crashes. With their lower speeds, these intersections are safer for pedestrians, cyclists, older drivers and novice drivers.

Get more information, including diagrams and information on how to use a roundabout at www.ridot.net/roundabouts.

A complete timeline of the upcoming changes associated with the opening of the new Henderson Bridge is as follows:

• Thursday, night November 16: Opening Westbound Lanes toward Providence
• All traffic will pass through the roundabout heading toward the bridge. Drivers on Massasoit Avenue will be able to exit the roundabout onto the bridge or continue straight on Massasoit Avenue.
• Motorists entering the Henderson Expressway from North Broadway will be directed to use the original exit to Massasoit Avenue toward Rumford, which has been closed for two years. A temporary traffic signal at the end of this ramp will allow left turns onto Massasoit Avenue toward the roundabout and bridge.
• All westbound traffic will cross over the bridge onto South Angell Street in Providence. Eastbound traffic will remain on the old bridge through the weekend. The Massasoit Avenue eastbound exit will be closed; all traffic will exit at North Broadway and follow a signed detour using North Broadway to Waterman Avenue to reach Massasoit Avenue.
• Monday, November 20: Opening Eastbound Lane toward East Providence
• Motorists will follow the travel lane from the end of Waterman Street onto the newly constructed bridge and to the new roundabout in East Providence.
• All traffic heading to North Broadway will need to follow a detour via Massasoit Avenue northbound. This detour will be in place until next spring.
• By the end of November: Shared-Use Path Opens

The original, 2,000-foot Henderson Bridge was completed in 1969. It was deemed structurally deficient in 1996 and had been in a steady state of even greater decline over the next 20 years before it was included in RIDOT's "RhodeWorks" renovation/reconstruction program begun nearly a decade ago.

Work on the new, narrower span, part of an overall $84.4 million project started in 2020, is expected to continue through 2024, largely involving demolition of the old bridge and portions of the Henderson Expressway. Final completion of the project is expected in summer 2025.