R.I. awarded $25 Million grant for Henderson Bridge Phase 2 project

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that Providence will receive $25 million for phase two of the Henderson Bridge project.

The federal funding comes via the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Raise (RAISE) grant program.

The Henderson Bridge, located in East Providence, was declared structurally deficient in 1996.

In 2020, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced that they would be rebuilding the bridge with federal funds.

“Receiving this latest RAISE grant is an important step forward for the Henderson Bridge and Expressway project, and will make travel safer and more efficient for commuters in Rhode Island,” said Governor McKee in a statement.

“Improving our roads and bridges is the key to our state’s economic success and job growth. I want to thank our Congressional Delegation for yet again delivering critical funding to help upgrade Rhode Island’s infrastructure,” he said.

“We are so grateful to our delegation for this funding that will provide for a number of important enhancements to the Henderson Bridge project.  We will be creating new scenic overlooks, new connections to our bicycle and pedestrian network, constructing a new roundabout to make travel safer and creating new economic development opportunity for East Providence,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti in a statement.

According to a release, the $25 million grant will allow RIDOT to begin construction that would transform the freeway into a complete street with a lower design speed and a separate, shared-use path for non-motorized transit.

Separated bike and pedestrian infrastructure would enhance connectivity to the East Bay Bike Path and the Blackstone River Bikeway, which serve thousands each year.

Additionally, RIDOT would decommission and demolish an aging and poorly conditioned ramp and install additional safety features to support multimodal users. Together, these improvements will connect neighborhoods while providing greater opportunity for economic development in surrounding areas, while giving residents more freedom to choose how they want to get around.

The bridge is 26-span steel girder structure spanning 2,000 feet over the Seekonk River. It carries 20,000 vehicles per day and connects the cities of Providence and East Providence.