Washington Bridge (Providence, Rhode Island)
| Washington Bridge | |
|---|---|
Washington Bridge, Providence
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| Coordinates | 41°49′09″N 71°23′13″W / 41.819076°N 71.386993°WCoordinates: 41°49′09″N 71°23′13″W / 41.819076°N 71.386993°W |
| Carries | Ten lanes of    I‑195 / US 6 / US 44 and 2 lanes of the East Bay Bike Path
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| Crosses | Seekonk River |
| Locale | Between Providence and East Providence, Rhode Island |
| Owner | Rhode Island Department of Transportation |
| Maintained by | Rhode Island Department of Transportation |
| ID number | South span: 2000, North span: 7000 |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | South span: 509.3 metres (1,671 ft), North span: 580.3 metres (1,904 ft) |
| Width | South span: 20.7 metres (68 ft), North span: 18.6 metres (61 ft) |
| No. of spans | 15 |
| Clearance below | South span: 12.5 metres (41 ft), North span: 12.8 metres (42 ft) |
| History | |
| Architect | Carl L. Otto |
| Engineering design by | Clarence W. Hudson |
| Construction end | South span: 1930 (reconstructed 2008), North span: 1969 (reconstructed 1998) |
| Opened | 25 September 1930 |
| Replaces | Swing bridge of the same name built in 1885 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | None |
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| References | |
| National Bridge Inventory | |
The Washington Bridge is a series of three bridges carrying Interstate 195, US Route 6, and US Route 44 over the Seekonk River connecting India Point in Providence to Watchemoket Square in East Providence, Rhode Island. The historic portion of the bridge dating to 1930 serves as the pedestrian crossing, and bike link to the East Bay Bike Path. The pedestrian span is also a part of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail.
In June 1781, General Washington and Count de Rochambeau's army marched from Newport and crossed the Seekonk River near the current bridge for siege against British forces on Manhattan Island. Bridges at this location date back to 1793, when John Brown's Providence South Bridge Company built a covered drawbridge. This bridge served as part of a turnpike that followed Taunton Avenue from Watchemoket Square to Taunton, Massachusetts. The same year, Brown's brother Moses built the Central Bridge (red bridge) to the north, connecting the Providence and East Providence ends of Waterman Avenue. Replacements were built in 1807 and 1815 after each existing bridge was destroyed by weather. A swing bridge was then built in 1885, and carried a street car line.
The original (southern) span of the current bridge was opened on September 25, 1930 as a bascule bridge. Designed by engineer Clarence W. Hudson and architect Carl L. Otto, both of New York City, it is dedicated to George Washington, in honor of his crossing with General Rochambeau. It linked the old Fox Point Boulevard on the Providence side with the intersection of Warren and Taunton Avenues - Watchemoket Square - both of which still terminate at the East Providence end of the bridge. The four-lane bridge (two lanes in each direction) was marked by four large (approximately 15 ft high by 8 ft wide at the base by 3 ft deep (4.6x2.4x0.9 m)) stone monuments, all having identical bronze dedications to Washington on them. The bridge structure itself, with its stone façade and arches under the roadway, is similar to the Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., on a shortened scale.
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