Union Avenue Bridge to Reopen this Fall

Governor Lincoln Chafee and officials from the state Department of Transportation gathered at the Union Avenue Bridge today to announce the bridge will reopen to traffic this fall.

The bridge is a first step in a major rehabilitation of the Routes 6 and 10 corridor that will bring safety improvements, new signing and a new cable guardrail.

Officials used the event to "reiterate the importance of investing in our state's transportation infrastructure to help extend the service life of our roads and bridges, such as this one," the DOT said in a release.

The Union Avenue Bridge was erected in 1958 to carry Union Avenue over Route 10 in Providence. After steady deterioration, the bridge was closed last june. The new bridge will feature two spans of steel with an exposed concrete deck to replace the former four-span bridge, the DOT said. The bridge will consist of four, 12-foot travel lanes and two sidewalks.

“Recognizing the inconvenience of the bridge’s closure to the local businesses and residents in the area we have been working as quickly as possible to reopen it,” said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. “Reconnecting neighborhoods, while reestablishing the vital link between Providence and Cranston, has been our goal all along.”

Pawtucket-based Aetna Bridge is expected to complete the $8.1 million contract before the end of the year.