For decades, the Henderson Bridge over the Seekonk River had seemed strangely overbuilt – an elevated six-lane expressway leading into and out of Providence’s tony East Side that allowed vehicles to fly past the East Providence waterfront on the way to nowhere fast.
Now an $84.4 million, five-year project to narrow the 2,000-foot bridge and transform roadways on either side of the river has leaders in both cities excited about the possibilities for waterfront redevelopment.
Phase one of the project is underway and calls for replacing the six-lane structurally deficient bridge with a three-lane span – two lanes westbound and one lane eastbound – that will also include a protected two-lane bike and pedestrian path. The width of the bridge will be reduced by two-thirds, R.I. Department of Transportation officials say.
At the same time, the elevated approach to the bridge in East Providence will be demolished, along with a tangle of on-ramps and off-ramps, and replaced with a more-efficient roundabout designed to slow traffic and ease connections to business districts on Waterfront Drive and Massasoit Avenue in East Providence.
“It’s all about connectivity,” said Peter Alviti Jr., director of the DOT.
In recent years, East Providence leaders have focused their attention on the redevelopment of the city’s expansive waterfront on the Providence and Seekonk rivers. A planned redesign of the westbound Interstate 195 approach to the Washington Bridge – to the south of the Henderson Bridge – is expected to give greater access to Waterfront Drive. Officials such as East Providence Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva say the Henderson Bridge reconstruction will only make the area more desirable to businesses.
‘[The Henderson Bridge] project is going to be a game-changer for the whole region.’
Roberto. L. DaSilva, East Providence mayor
DaSilva said he was excited about the future of 25 acres of unoccupied land located south of the bridge that could be developed for commercial, industrial and residential uses. Developers see value in water access, as well as proximity to Interstate 195 and the city of Providence, the mayor said.
Several businesses have already located near the bridge to capitalize on economic impact, according to city officials. The owners of the popular restaurant Avenue N are preparing to open a new eatery on Massasoit Avenue, and a beer brewing company is planning to operate nearby. Access to the waterfront opens other possibilities, DaSilva said, including a connection to the offshore wind industry.
“[The Henderson Bridge] project is going to be a game-changer for the whole region,” he said. “It’s going to be special.”
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IT’S ALL CONNECTED: A roundabout will be installed on the East Providence side of the Henderson Bridge to provide better access to Waterfront Drive and also slow traffic through the area. / SCREENSHOT OF R.I. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PRESENTATION[/caption]
The bridge, which handles about 20,000 vehicles a day, was constructed in 1969 and had been intended to be part of a larger expressway running from Providence through East Providence to the Massachusetts border. When the full project didn’t come to fruition, it left behind an oversized bridge and partial expressway that connects to North Broadway in East Providence.
Over the years, the span, named after former state chief engineer George Henderson, had fallen into disrepair and was declared deficient in 1996. The reconstruction was given the go-ahead in 2019, after U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., helped secure $54.5 million in federal funding for the project.
Now reconstruction work is underway, overseen by Massachusetts-based contractor Barletta Heavy Division Inc., which has a Providence office Traffic has been shifted to the southern side of the bridge as workers on barges dismantle the bridge deck on the northern half. Construction crews are also in the process of demolishing part of the bridge’s west abutment and driving piles at the east abutment.
The first phase of the reconstruction isn’t expected to be completed until 2025.
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SHRINKING SPAN: R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti Jr. stands under the Henderson Bridge in Providence as construction workers behind him disassemble part of the bridge as part of a $84.4 million reconstruction project. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
DOT officials said one of the complaints they had fielded from neighboring businesses and residents during the design process was the high speed of traffic coming off the bridge. Other stakeholders had expressed frustration that there was no direct connection between Waterfront Drive and the Henderson Bridge.
Those problems will be addressed by a centerpiece of the project – a roundabout that will directly connect Waterfront Drive, Massasoit Avenue and the Henderson Expressway (to be renamed the Henderson Parkway) to the bridge in a way that will also slow traffic.
A second phase of the project could see the installation of roundabouts at North Broadway and on the East Side in Providence. DOT officials aren’t sure when phase two of the project will start, but the agency has earmarked $2 million for design work.
East Providence City Council President Robert Britto said his constituents are happy that construction has commenced. He said the pedestrian and bike path in the DOT’s design has been appealing to residents.
Britto said the 12-foot-wide protected lanes will make it safe to cross for walkers and cyclists, much like the path on the Washington Bridge that connects the East Bay Bike Path to India Point Park. “It’s going to be a pedestrian-safe bridge,” Britto said.
Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said DOT’s shift from a car-first focus to more of a quality-of-life approach in redesigning the Henderson Bridge has led to a greater emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
“I can’t remember ever seeing a pedestrian or bicycle on that bridge,” Elorza said.
Elorza said the redesigned bridge also will play a pivotal role in business development along the waterfront on the East Side. “There is a lot of underutilized land that can be developed,” he said. “I have had multiple discussions with developers. I’m excited about the development potential.”
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Shuman@PBN.com.
