CRMC, TNC To Remove Hazardous Timbers From Providence River

PROVIDENCE, RI — The Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council, along with The Nature Conservancy and the city of Providence, plan to remove 250 tons of derelict creosote timbers and piers from the Providence River this fall.

"The project will focus on dismantling the wooden remnants of the Point Street Bridge’s old swing system and will not interfere with or impact the functional portions of the bridge," according to a media release.

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"The partners will also be working with the Providence Parks Department and the Downtown Providence Park Network to engage in public education and outreach opportunities," the release said.

According to the release, the 300 pilings and associated decking to be removed are part of a structure that lifted and turned the Point Street Bridge from 1927 to 1959.

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"In 1966, the Fox Point hurricane barrier was constructed just to the south, blocking larger vessels from entering the harbor and rendering the bridge’s swing feature obsolete," the release said. "Now deteriorating, the timbers are a hazard to navigation, a potential threat to the hurricane barrier and a source of water pollution."

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This project will be funded by a $2.3 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program. TNC will manage the engineering and demolition contracts under a cooperative agreement.

“Local advocates identified the pilings as a priority for removal during the WaterFire dredging project a few years ago,” Scott Comings, TNC’s associate state director in Rhode Island, said in the release.

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"Removing the contaminated timbers from the river will be a positive step for the ecosystem and for recreation, and we’re excited to see continued, strong investments in our urban waters,” Comings said.

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