This morning the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and the City of Pawtucket held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new Conant Street Railroad Bridge. The project will pave the way for future site improvements and economic development in this industrial area.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the City-owned Conant Street Railroad Bridge was built in 1913 by the American Bridge Company of New York. The structure carries Conant Street over Amtrak and the Providence and Worcester (P&W) Railroads between Mineral Spring Avenue and Barton and Weeden Streets in Pawtucket. The existing bridge was closed to traffic in 1989 due to structural deterioration.
"We are pleased to join with the City of Pawtucket for the replacement of this bridge," said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. "Through this project, we will help the City recognize their vision for urban revitalization in this area."
"The reopening of this bridge will provide a long-missing link vital to our city's economic future," Mayor Donald R. Grebien said. "It will be a boon to businesses especially in the Conant Street Industrial Park area which is being evaluated for commuter rail development. By increasing visibility, it will also help protect our historic Mineral Spring Cemetery and make this a safer neighborhood for our residents."
The new Conant Street Railroad Bridge will be a single span truss structure with steel floor beams, steel stringers, and a concrete deck. The bridge will be fabricated with weathering steel which will develop a protective patina coating over the base steel and will therefore require less maintenance. The new roadway will have two 13-foot travel lanes and two 5-foot wide sidewalks that will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The project will also include new fencing, guardrail and curbing, minor drainage and utility improvements, and the installation of new signing and striping.
RIDOT will also repave most of Conant Street and reconstruct the sidewalks from the east abutment to just short of the Mineral Spring Avenue intersection.
Through a $4.3 construction contract with Cardi Corporation, project completion is slated for Summer 2013.
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Contact: Heidi Gudmundson 401-222-1362, Ext. 4009