Work on the Broken Bridge near Kickemuit Middle School is set to begin by the end of this month, which will connect the two sides of the Kickemuit River near the Kickemuit Middle School for the first time since the bridge was destroyed by the Hurricane of 1938.

The projected $5.85 million project was awarded to the Cardi Corporation as the lowest bidder back in 2021, and is being run by the state Department of Transportation as part of the Safe Routes to School project, with the goal of creating an additional safe route to Kickemuit Middle School and Hugh Cole Elementary School. The project is funded through the combination of state and federal dollars, with no local money tied up.

Initial work will include clearing of the site and foundational work, including the building of abutments on which the new bridge will be seated. The pedestrian-only bridge — 165-foot span — will be crafted from composite materials that will require less costly and less frequent maintenance than traditional bridge construction.

The work will need to be spread out due to environmental restrictions on native wildlife, according to Town Planner Bob Rulli. As a result, the bridge will be constructed in phases, with the final installation of the actual bridge projected to occur during the summer of 2023.

As part of the project, DOT will be installing ADA-compliant sidewalks and pathing to link the bridge from its western bank to the eastern bank, and connect it to the schools. They will also add flashing school zone speed limit signs in the area and note some “stormwater improvements” that will be implemented as well.

“Working in tandem with improvements we are making farther north at Birch Swamp Road, the projects will remove obstructions to tidal flow, reduce flooding, and improve the ecological health of the river with sustainable transportation infrastructure,” reads the project page on the DOT website.

Rulli said he is hopeful that the opening of the new pedestrian bridge will encourage local students to walk or ride their bikes to school, and that it will present other opportunities for local residents as well.

“I think there’s an advantage for residents at Kickemuit Village retirement to get out and walk if they are able and want to do so,” he said. “This will give them the availability to do that.”

Rulli also mentioned the possible linking of the East Bay Bike path with the new bridge, provided that development along the Metacom Avenue corridor can implement a three-lane design with bike lanes as he has envisioned.