NEWMAN AVENUE BRIDGE IN EAST PROVIDENCE WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE; REOPENS IN TIME FOR WINTER

Governor Gina Raimondo joined with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT)
today to open the Newman Avenue Bridge in East Providence to traffic after a complete
replacement. The bridge had been rated as structurally deficient for more than twenty years.
«Good businesses create jobs in places with good infrastructure,» said Governor Gina Raimondo.
«Through initiatives like RhodeWorks and projects like the Newman Avenue Bridge, we are
building the foundation for growth in Rhode Island. Thanks to RIDOT’s hard work, thousands of
Rhode Islanders can get to work faster and more safely than before.»
The replacement project took nine months to complete and cost $4.7 million, $2.6 million of
which was for construction. Federal funds covered 80 percent of the cost. Final completion of
the project is currently anticipated for next spring which is about 12 months ahead of schedule.
The project is on budget.
RIDOT used traditional construction methods to allow one lane of traffic to stay open during
construction. RIDOT worked closely with the City of East Providence to honor its request that
the bridge not be closed for an extended period of time.
RIDOT Director Peter Alviti said, «Our team pushed to get each phase of this project completed
just a little bit faster than scheduled. The accumulated savings gave us quite a margin and
shows what project management can do. The team expedited several critical submissions which
allowed the materials to be fabricated earlier and got us to an earlier construction start.»
RIDOT replaced the original bridge with an integral abutment bridge made of precast concrete
box beams and stub abutments constructed behind the existing abutments. The original bridge
was 44′ long. Since the new abutments were installed behind the existing ones, the new bridge
is 68′ long.
Built in 1934, the bridge carries approximately 9,000 vehicles daily over the 10 Mile River.
The replacement ofthe Newman Avenue Bridge was made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s
ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island’s
transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and
create jobs. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.