The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today reopened the Howard Road Bridge in Cumberland. The bridge had been closed since June 2017 after the results of an inspection found that the bridge was so badly deteriorated it could not remain open to traffic.
The bridge is owned by the Town of Cumberland and carries Howard Road over Abbott Run, close to the Massachusetts border. RIDOT fully funded the $3.1 million repair project.
The Department reconstructed this historic 134-year-old bridge in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act. This included removing granite blocks and cataloging them for their replacement while supporting abutments and other structural elements were replaced. RIDOT installed a new wood deck as well, resembling the nearby Rawson Road bridges, which were rebuilt under historic guidelines in the early 2000s.
The replacement of the Howard Road 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.