The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently celebrated the opening of the $84.4 million Henderson Bridge connecting Providence and East Providence.
The bridge, which replaces a 54-year-old structurally deficient bridge that carries 20,000 vehicles daily, opened to traffic earlier this month. RIDOT had been spending millions of dollars to repair the original bridge.
The new bridge’s design occupies a 75 percent smaller structural footprint than the old bridge and freed approximately 25 acres of land. It includes a shared-use bike path alongside the eastbound side of the bridge that will open by the end of the month.
The original bridge was overbuilt for a proposed highway expansion project that never happened.
RhodeWorks, a commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges, funded the project as did $54.5 million in federal funding.
“We are so grateful for the efforts of our Congressional Delegation to continue to provide dedicated funding to help us replace Rhode Island’s deficient bridges,” RIDOT Director Alviti said. “RIDOT will continue to hold up its end of the bargain, to put these funds to use as quickly as possible and deliver safe and modern transportation infrastructure for all users.”
RIDOT has committed to reducing the level of deficient bridges from 27 percent to 10 percent by 2026.