PROVIDENCE – The fate of the iconic Crook Point Bascule Bridge is uncertain after a portion of the elevated rail bridge caught fire on Tuesday night.
The city of Providence, which does not own the bridge, recently announced plans to repurpose the 113-year-old landmark through a design competition won by a local engineering firm. Mayor Jorge O. Elorza in a statement on Wednesday reiterated the city’s commitment to preserving what is colloquially known as the “stuck up bridge” over the Seekonk River.
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“The city will continue to work with public safety and others to determine the best course of action to ensure safe preservation and restoration of the landmark and surrounding area,” Elorza said.
However, the R.I. Department of Transportation, which previously said the rusted structure was slated for demolition due to safety concerns, is still reviewing whether the fire further damaged the bridge’s structural integrity.
The state agency was slated to hand over the bridge, owned by the quasi-public R.I. Public Rail Corp., to the city this summer, contingent upon safety analysis and approval by the Public Rail Corp. and Providence Redevelopment Agency, RIDOT said in a statement on Wednesday.
“If the structural assessment after this fire shows the bridge to be sound, the transfer can take place,” RIDOT stated. “If it is found to be not sound, and if the city does not want to make the necessary repairs to make it safe, RIDOT would move up the demolition date.”
Inspection of the bridge after the fire has already begun, with drone surveillance and a physical engineering inspection. Once analysis is complete, RIDOT will plan any needed repairs, it said.
The flames started in an elevated portion of the bridge slats late Tuesday, taking firefighters hours to extinguish, various news outlets have reported. The cause is still under investigation.
Earlier this month, Elorza named Providence-firm Horsley Witten Group & Jonathan Harris the winner of its design competition for its plan to incorporate a boardwalk, a dock and a small event stage, and illuminated art on the raised bridge truss structure.
In a statement Wednesday, Providence Councilman John Goncalves, who represents the Fox Point neighborhood around the bridge, highlighted the structure’s significance to the city.
“The bridge is a relic of Providence’s history as an industrial port city and had recently inspired many preservation and reuse ideas before the unfortunate events of last night. Local landmarks like the Crook Point Bridge are what give our City a unique character and make Providence feel like home,” Goncalves said.
Once part of a rail line connected to the Providence terminal – originally for passengers and later for freight trains- the abandoned steel railway drawbridge has been suspended over the Seekonk River since the 1970s, PBN has reported.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
