Providence Will Transform Freeway Crossing Into Elegant Car-Free Bridge
![The Providence River Pedestrian Bridge will stand where Interstate-195 once did. Image: City of Providence via Greater City Providence [PDF]](https://i2.wp.com/usa.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/10/Screen-Shot-2014-10-03-at-11.48.14-AM.png)
The bridge will take advantage of footings from the old I-195 bridge. The highway was rerouted 2,000 feet south of its previous alignment in 2010, opening up 20 acres of downtown land for development and better positioning the road to withstand flooding events.
Tearing down the footings would have cost the state $2 million. By preserving and reusing the footings, that money went toward construction of the pedestrian bridge instead, reports the Providence Business News.
In 2010, the city held a design competition to solicit proposals for the structure, and Detroit-based inFORM Studio won. The original design called for a small cafe within the bridge, but plans were scaled back due to cost concerns.
The bridge is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2016.
Bikers zigzagging around the pedestrians. How wonderful. This could’ve been designed better.
As opposed to what happens every day on the East Bay Bike path? That Bike Path supports walkers, runner, boarders, skaters, strollers etc all without issue. I guess only time will tell.