Pawtucket River Bridge work may not start until next summer
PAWTUCKET - Work that had been scheduled to start as early as April of next year on the new Pawtucket River Bridge won't likely get under way until early next summer, according to a representative from the Department of Transportation. DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin told The Breeze that due to an unusually complex plan for the monumental bridge replacement project, a "realistic" kickoff won't happen until at least late spring. "We have some pretty tough review processes we have to go through because we're going over the river," said St. Martin. "It's a pretty complex project - and a big bridge - so we have to do our homework." The DOT hasn't advertised for bidders to complete construction of the bridge yet, said St. Martin, a process that will happen over the winter. Interim repair work to keep the crumbling span in operation and carrying thousands of vehicles each day will continue, he said. The Pawtucket River Bridge project is still expected to take between two and three years from its start date, according to DOT personnel, and it should cost taxpayers as much as $150 million. The span will be one of just three decorative bridges in the state, including the I-way and the Newport Bridge, according to Pawtucket Foundation President Thomas Mann, and the only one on Route 95. Winged motif pylons will grace the four corners of the arched bridge and will fit into the winged theme in Pawtucket's soon-to-be-renamed downtown area, according to Mann. St. Martin said that workers will first build a third bridge at the Pawtucket River Bridge next to exit 27. Northbound traffic will be put on the new bridge while current southbound traffic will be moved to the vacated northbound bridge. The southbound bridge will then be demolished and replaced "where it is," said St. Martin, followed by that same traffic being diverted back onto it. Demolition of the old northbound bridge will then commence, followed by its replacement. Lastly, the northbound traffic previously diverted to the third bridge that's not currently built will be directed back to the completed northbound bridge and the third bridge will be transformed into an on ramp and off ramp. St. Martin said that a new configuration will not only mean a state-of-the-art bridge in place for decades to come but alleviate backed up traffic exiting the highway in downtown Pawtucket. Those attending Pawtucket Red Sox games should notice the biggest difference, he said. The design for the new Pawtucket River Bridge is the brainchild of a consortium of local professionals, will also allow for a new bikeway and road to travel under the bridge, according to St. Martin.
