Pawtuxet River Valley

How many accidents do we need?

They may be cool to talk about and so to record the deaths or accidents, but lets straighten out the process correctly.

By Friend

Bridge Presentation

So what did you think? ...Sure sounds like there may be some room to help design the new bridge and get some serious concessions from DOT on current Pawtucket maintenance and especially safe pedestrian access

By Arthur

Projo Report

New Pawtucket bridge plan draws questions

01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, February 6, 2008

By John Castellucci

Journal Staff Writer

PAWTUCKET ?— There were just a handful of complaints about the noise, traffic congestion and automobile emissions generated by the detour put in place when the state posted a 22-ton weight limit on the bridges that carry Route 95 over the Pawtucket River.

There was just a murmur of protest about plans to modify a key part of the detour by reopening Division Street between George and Prospect streets to two-way traffic.

What seemed to matter most to the crowd that gathered for last night?’s public information session in the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center was the aesthetics of the structure that the state Transportation Department plans to build as a replacement.

?“What does it look like now? What does the design look like now??” demanded John Speck, who writes a blog about Pawtucket and runs a small advertising agency.

When, asked Richard C. Davis, executive director of the Pawtucket Foundation, is the Transportation Department going to solicit public input about the design?

The more than half-dozen questions about bridge aesthetics seemed to catch DOT officials off guard.

Armed with computerized traffic models, roadmaps and traffic counts, they had come prepared to answer questions about the impact of the bridge replacement project, not the aesthetics.

?“Obviously, we want the input,?” said Jerome F. Williams, director of the Transportation Department, said, replying to Davis.

?“I will tell you, though, our resources are limited,?” Williams cautioned. ?“The federal government is not coming through with additional resources. They?’re coming through with less each year.?”

When Speck, who walks beneath the existing bridges on his way to work every day, demanded an elevation showing the design of the replacement bridge, Williams sought to assure everyone in the room that the new bridge was going to be built quickly, in less than the 5 to 10 years it usually takes the Transportation Department to build bridges.

But questions about what the new bridge will look like are a little early, Williams indicated: ?“Literally, we just got the design consultant on board.?”

Still, proponents of an aesthetically driven bridge project wouldn?’t be deterred.

Richard J. Blockson, general manager of The Pawtucket Times and The Woonsocket Call, asked the DOT officials to bear in mind that the new bridge will be a gateway, enabling motorists to cross the first body of water they encounter in the Ocean State.

Mindy Walker, an employee of a Cambridge, Mass., architecture company who lives in Pawtucket, told Williams, ?“Not to diminish the issue of resources,?” there were a lot of people in the room with the expertise to help.

The chairman of the city?’s Riverfront Commission, Richard Kazarian Jr., didn?’t speak, but, when the meeting was over, distributed a written statement:

?“Replacement of the Pawtucket River Bridge presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a landmark structure that creates a true gateway to Rhode Island from Massachusetts. Creating a symbol reflective of, not blind to, the community it passes over has the potential to liberate a city long burdened by thoughtless design.?”


By Attendee

Pawtucket Times report- 3months



By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET ?— State transportation officials have given the Division Street Bridge the green light to be opened up to two-way traffic once again. However, due to some modifications that have yet to be made, the change to two-way flow won?’t take place for approximately another three months.


Yet numerous people with businesses along the stretch from Division Street to George Street and the surrounding neighborhood complained to city officials that the one-way traffic was hurting business. In response, city officials promised to work with RIDOT to come up with a new plan to bring back the two-way traffic flow.
Kazem Farhoumand, acting chief engineer with RIDOT, showed two plans for the Division Street Bridge, both with only slightly different changes to create one or two turning lanes at the intersection with George Street. He said he favored the plan that would allow for two turning lanes, in addition to the lane going in the opposite direction.
Farhoumand said, however, that a couple of utility poles have to be moved and the traffic signals and signage reconfigured to allow for the two-way configuration. It is these modifications that prevent the change from taking place any sooner than an estimated three months?’ time.
While Farhoumand said the two-way traffic should not pose any substantial problems for the I-95 truck detours, he did caution that it could cause some additional traffic back-ups on nearby Prospect Street and in the Cedar Street and Garden Street area.
Voicing dismay at this assessment was Tom Ross, an official from Memorial Hospital, who said the increased traffic on Prospect Street now is making it difficult for a hospital shuttle bus and other vehicles to get in and out of the property.
However, most of those at the meeting said they welcome the return to two-way traffic, and only wish it could happen sooner.
In the broader scheme, Farhoumand and RIDOT Director Jerome Williams gave a presentation on the plan to replace the Pawtucket River Bridge that spans the section of I-95 from the George Street to School Street exits.
Williams said the Pawtucket River Bridge replacement is ?“one of the highest priority projects that we have?” and said the completion time should be ?“nowhere near?” the estimates of 5 to 10 years that have been initially reported.
He said RIDOT had already speeded up the process of finding a designer, which typically takes around nine months. He said that while it is too soon to talk about any details of the bridge design, he pledged that RIDOT will work jointly with city officials throughout the process.
Williams also said he is willing to meet with community members and local preservationists about design, in the hopes of creating a bridge that will meld with the historic character of the city.
He cautioned, however, that funds are limited and economy must be considered in the construction and design.
Among the highlights, Farhoumand said the bridge will be widened to make an accelerated/weave lane and the actual span will be shorter because it will be built more into embankments on each side. In addition, the George Street and School Street ramps will be moved further apart, and a two-lane service road will be constructed allowing traffic to exit at School Street or continue onto I-95.
Additionally, a culvert will be built that will carry a section of Pleasant Street under I-95.
Farhoumand also said the School Street off-ramp will be kept open during construction and that three travel lanes in each direction on I-95 will be maintained at all times.
Williams said that RIDOT and city officials will meet again in approximately 90 days, when he expects to have more formalized plans in place.





By Attendee