Washington Bridge (Providence)

The Washington Bridge is a paired bridge carrying Interstate 195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence, Rhode Island.

History

The original (southern) span was opened on September 25, 1930 as a bascule bridge, replacing an older swing bridge on the site that dated to 1885. It is dedicated to George Washington, the first President of the United States. It linked the old Fox Point Boulevard on the Providence side with the intersection of Warren and Taunton Avenues, both of which still terminate at the East Providence end of the bridge. The four-lane bridge (two lanes in each direction) was marked by four large (approximately 15 ft high by 8 ft wide at the base by 3 ft deep (4.6x2.4x0.9 m)) stone monuments, all having identical bronze dedications to Washington on them. The bridge structure itself, with its stone façade and arches under the roadway, is similar to the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC on a shortened scale.

In 1959, the span, along with the approach roads, were redesignated as parts of the newly created I-195, which, by the end of the year, extended to the Massachusetts border. However, it was determined that congestion on the bridge was far too much for its future use, and in 1968, a twinned bridge (minus the still-existent sidewalk and bays over the towers) was completed north of the original span, separated by approximately twenty feet (6 m). It was at this time that two changes were made to the original bridge; the bascule section was permanently closed, as the new bridge was not a bascule either, and the Washington monuments on the northern side of the bridge on each approach was relocated to the northern side of the new span, giving the bridge its final appearance.

In recent years, the bridge has fallen into a state of disrepair, due to budget constraints and other issues related to its age and the stress of congested traffic traveling eastward out of Providence. Other than the Henderson Bridge north of it, it is the only span traveling over any part of Narragansett Bay or its tributaries from Providence to the bridges connecting Aquidneck Island to the mainland in the south of the state - a detour of approximately fifty miles (80 km). It is currently being replaced as a separate project just east of the Iway project.

In the Washington Bridge project, the Eastbound bridge is being replaced. The old control booths for the bascule section have been removed. The new span, which is now carrying traffic, is nearing completion. Part of the original Eastbound structure is being preserved, and will be used as a bike and pedestrian route.

See www.dot.ri.gov [http://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/construction/195intro.htm] for more information.

References