Is Providence’s Pedestrian Bridge the Most Expensive Ever?

Is Providence’s Pedestrian Bridge the Most Expensive Ever?

As the numbers emerge on the cost of Providence’s pedestrian bridge, the project is now estimated to be $1,470 a square foot — 145% more than the estimated cost per square foot of the replacement of the Henderson Bridge — the massive expanse between Providence’s East Side and East Providence.

The cost to replace the Henderson Bridge is just $600 a square foot.

The pedestrian bridge’s cost is now estimated to be $21.9 million.

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It was first proposed in 2010 under then-Mayor David Cicilline.

Cicilline and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) officials announced a competition to design a pedestrian bridge across the Providence River — at a span of just 400 feet. The bridge was estimated to cost approximately $3 million.

Over the years, the scope of the project has actually been reduced and yet the cost of the pedestrian bridge has doubled, tripled and then some — the cost is now 700 percent higher than originally proposed.

By 2011, the total project cost was estimated to be $5.5 million according to Providence and RIDOT presentations. 

Why the Higher Cost?

While the pedestrian bridge in Providence does not have the same weight-support requirements of a traditional bridge that supports cars and trucks and is just a few hundred feet long, DOT’s spokesman says the design does have architectural details that increase the costs.

“The Providence River Pedestrian Bridge (project cost is $21.9 million) is not a typical highway bridge. It includes architectural features and uses specially fabricated items not usually associated with our bridges,” said Charles St. Martin, spokesman for the RIDOT.

“These include custom fabricated steel as well as a wooden decking system. Much of the labor is specialized and more labor-intensive than a steel or concrete highway bridge,” said St. Martin.

“It’s important to note that this is a legacy project started under a prior administration and therefore was not subject to the same administrative procedures we have now to carefully control cost and schedule of all our projects. As I mentioned, our project management division has nearly 100 percent of its projects on time and on budget,” added St. Martin.

While the pedestrian bridge is still months from being completed, the plan to replace the Henderson Bridge is just emerging. The estimated cost for the contruction of the replacement of the Henderson is $70 million

"RIDOT develops unit pricing for items used in the construction of our roads and bridges. This factor takes into account costs for similar work at previous projects, and is constantly reviewed to ensure it reflects current market prices for labor and materials. Presently, we use a factor of $600 per square foot for bridge construction," said St. Martin. "Engineering consultants provide guidance on cost estimates, particularly when design work is complete and close to the time to advertise for a contractor. We are doing a good job estimating cost and our projects are more than 95 percent on budget."

SEE 2011 PROJECT PRESENTATION BELOW

As GoLocal unveiled in December 2018, the cost of the project continues to spiral and is expected to be $21.9 million or more.

In just the past two-plus years -- the estimated cost by RIDOT to the now trending project cost has jumped over 68 percent -- from $13 million to $21.9 million.

“When RIDOT’s Project Management team assembled an estimate and advertised for construction bids in 2016, it estimated the cost at $13 million. The bids came in higher, and the low bid selected was $16.9 million,” said St. Martin.

But, the spiraling costs have been tracked over the years. As reported in 2016, “Agency executives and engineers had been telling the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission… that it would cost $5.5 million to build the bridge.”

The bridge -- which is just a little longer than a football field plus the end zones -- is now nearly a decade in the making.

In December, 195 District Executive Director Peter McNally told GoLocal that the benefits of the bridge in the long-term will outweigh the frustrations about the delays and the costs.

“The bridge will be something that everyone enjoys. It can't be overestimated how much it will add (to the state) and it will connect College Hill and the Jewelry District,” said McNally.