Providence River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
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The Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge is a footbridge crossing the Providence River located in the
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
of
Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
, Rhode Island. The bridge connects Providence's Fox Point neighborhood to the city's Jewelry District. Originally known as the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge, in July 2020 it was renamed in honor of Michael S. Van Leesten. The bridge was built on the
piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
which supported part of Interstate 195 prior to its relocation.


History

The idea of building a pedestrian bridge on the old Interstate 195 (I-195)
piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
was suggested in 1999 by a Rhode Island School of Design architecture student. Since money would have had to be spent on demolishing the concrete piers, the rationale was to instead build a simple footbridge with those funds. In 2008, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) allocated towards its construction. A Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition was announced in 2010 by then- Providence Mayor
David N. Cicilline David Nicola Cicilline (; born July 15, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 36th mayor of Providence from 2003 to 2011, the first openly ga ...
and then-DOT director Michael P. Lewis, which was entered by 47 design teams from as far away as Barcelona. inFORM Studio from Detroit was chosen as the winner from among the 11 designs that were displayed at
Providence City Hall Providence City Hall is the center of the municipal government in Providence, Rhode Island, and is located at the southwest end of Kennedy Plaza at 25 Dorrance Street. The building was constructed between 1875 and 1878 and designed by Samuel J. ...
. The cost grew dramatically due to several factors. First, that design, chosen by the city under then-Mayor Angel Taveras in 2014, increased the cost to $8 million. In 2016, when it was found that the height of the bridge would have to be raised due to
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, the estimated cost further inflated to $13 million, and the lowest bid the agency received was $16.9 million. In 2018, construction finally began, while changes in the price of
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
and other costs led to the final project expense ballooning to $21.9 million. Per a 2011 agreement, the bridge was transferred from State of Rhode Island to the
City of Providence Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, which will maintain it, for the amount of $1. The bridge officially opened on August 9, 2019. The bridge was originally known as the Providence River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. In July 2020 the bridge was named in honor of Michael S. Van Leesten, a local civil rights advocate.


Structure

The bridge is built on the piers of the former stretch of I-195, which was demolished after the Iway was completed. It connects the Fox Point neighborhood on the east end with the Jewelry District on the west end and spans the Providence River. The length is . It contains wooden benches, illuminated tables, built-in
chessboard A chessboard is a used to play chess. It consists of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 columns, on which the chess pieces are placed. It is square in shape and uses two colours of squares, one light and one dark, in a chequered pattern. During play, the bo ...
s, and stainless-steel railings. The upper deck is made of Brazilian
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hardwood, while bluestone steps lead to terraced lower levels containing
LED lighting An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...
and grass planting. At the time of the opening, a system of
parks A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
was being built by the RIDOT as a separate project, which were scheduled to open later in 2019. Enough area of the parks opened with the bridge to allow access by pedestrians and cyclists.


Controversy

The $21.9 million total cost grew from a 2011 state document estimate stipulating the cost was not to exceed $6 million with any overruns to have been paid by the City. This has drawn criticism amidst the state having the highest percentage of
structurally deficient The National Bridge Inventory (NBI) is a database, compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, with information on all bridges and tunnels in the United States that have roads passing above or below them. That is similar to the grade-crossing ...
bridges in the US in 2018 according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
West Warwick West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,012 at the 2020 census. West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the wester ...
state representative Patricia Morgan has stated, "We are not walking on pedestrian bridges. We are trying to drive to work safely, and we are tired of going over bad roads and bridges. Until we are at least in the middle of the pack with bridges, it is galling. Everyone should be shaking their heads in disbelief." North Smithfield state representative Brian Newberry added, "A pedestrian bridge seems like extra — bells and whistles. It's nice, but it should not be the priority." Proponents argue that the bridge will become an attraction in itself. Providence’s Department of Planning and Development Director Bonnie Nickerson believes the footbridge will complete a pedestrian circuit that extends north to the Providence Place mall, while
WaterFire WaterFire is a sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI. It was first created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, and has since become a free public art installation. W ...
could continue south to the bridge. She said "It's going to be a spectacular place to be in itself." DOT director Peter Alviti Jr., while admitting that the DOT's current plans and funding would not let the overrun happen now, said "Look, does it add value to the district newly developing in that area? Yes. I can't deny it is artistic and beautiful from an architectural standpoint." Greater City Providence website founder Jef Nickerson concurs, saying that it will provide stunning views, bicycle and pedestrian connections, and waterfront access. "It's not just a piece of infrastructure — it's a destination. It's a worthy investment."


Gallery

File:Providence River and Interstate 195.jpg, View of the original I-195 Bridge, whose piers the current bridge stands on File:Providence Pedestrian Bridge - looking east.jpg, View of the bridge, facing east File:Providence Pedestrian Bridge.jpg, Hardwood benches and chess tables on the bridge File:Van Leesten Memorial Bridge dedication plaque.jpg, Dedication plaque


See also

George Redman Linear Park


References


External links


Additional photos
{{clear Bridges in Providence County, Rhode Island Bridges completed in 2019 Wooden bridges in Rhode Island Pedestrian bridges in Rhode Island