The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has announced that the Union Avenue Bridge that carries Union Avenue over Route 10 in the City of Providence is scheduled to reopen to traffic in time for the morning commute on Friday, August 5, 2011.
"We are pleased to reopen this bridge to traffic," said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. "With its reopening, we are now reconnecting Providence's West End and Silver Lake neighborhoods, as well as the cities of Providence and Cranston."
The Union Avenue Bridge, closed in June 2010 due to its structural deterioration, was originally built in 1958 and carried Union Avenue over Route 10 in Providence. The new Union Avenue Bridge features two steel spans with an exposed concrete deck. It has four, 12 foot travel lanes (two in each direction) with two 5.9 foot sidewalks and a 4 foot raised median. As part of the project, RIDOT also rebuilt the ramps on Union Avenue which connect to the new bridge.
Lewis praised the surrounding communities of Providence and Cranston as well as the General Assembly for their patience and support during the bridge's closure.
Through an $8.1 million contract with Aetna Bridge of Pawtucket, the remaining work for the Union Avenue Bridge Replacement Project including drainage improvements, new curbing and pavement on Route 10 near the Bridge, as well as improvements to Cranston Street should be completed by the end of the year.
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Contact: Heidi Gudmundson (401) 222-1362 x. 4009