India Point Railroad Bridge
India Point Railroad Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 41°49′02″N 71°23′15″W / 41.817098°N 71.387415°W |
Carries | Boston and Providence Railroad |
Crosses | Seekonk River |
Locale | between Providence and East Providence |
Characteristics | |
Design | swing bridge |
Total length | 403 feet (123 m) |
Width | 29 feet (8.8 m) |
Height | 48 feet (15 m) |
Longest span | 225 feet (69 m) |
History | |
Construction start | 1901 |
Construction end | 1903 |
Opened | 1903 |
Closed | 1974 |
Location | |
India Point Railroad Bridge was a swing bridge which spanned the Seekonk River, connecting the City of Providence, Rhode Island at India Point to the City of East Providence at Watchemoket. It was last used in 1974, and the swing span was removed in 2001 leaving only two fixed truss spans. The remaining spans were ultimately removed in 2023.
History
The original structure was a
In 1882, an iron swing section replaced the manually operated one. This provided a channel of about 38 feet (12 m). However, a curve in the channel made passage through it difficult.
Removal
The bridge continued to operate until 1974. After its closing, the United States Coast Guard eventually determined the bridge to be a navigational hazard. In May 1990, they threatened to fine the City of Providence US$1000 for each day beyond one year from then that the bridge was neither removed nor illuminated. Though the deadline passed, the Coast Guard delayed imposing any fines until at least 1993, when Federal money was to be made available for the bridge's removal. Under the plan, the Federal government and city were each to pay US$250,000 towards the cost of removing it.[7] However, this plan was not executed. Also, the Water Resources Acts of 1986 and 1996 had each approved plans for removing the bridge, but these plans failed to come to fruition as well.[8]
On 18 December 2000, the
Removal of the remainder of the bridge began in March 2023.[12] The spans were removed and sent to a scrapyard at the Port of Providence for scrapping the following month.[13]
See also
- Crook Point Bascule Bridge
- List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Rhode Island
- Sakonnet River rail bridge
Notes
- ^ The area which was ceded to Rhode Island to become East Providence in 1862 was previously part of Seekonk, Massachusetts.[2]
- ^ At the time, the bridge was known as the "Seekonk River Bridge" but was eventually renamed to match its predecessors.
References
- ^ ISBN 0486436624.
- ^ Conforti, Joseph (1976). Our Heritage: A History of East Providence. White Plains, New York: Monarch Publishing, Inc. p. 2.
- ^ a b J. Albert Monroe (1868). Description of the Piers of the new Railroad Bridge of the Boston and Providence Railroad over the Seekonk River, etc.
- ^ Ozog, Edward J. "Rhode Island Railroads". Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ Rhode Island Historical Resources Archive: Washington Bridge (RIHRA No. EAPR-0001 ed.). Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission. p. 4.
- ^ Rhode Island Railroad Commissioner (1903). Report. E.L. Freeman Company, state printers.
- ^ Mingis, Ken (26 December 1991). "No money, so eyesore bridge remains Coast Guard holding off on fining city for violation". Providence Journal. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Railroad bridge's days numbered". Providence Journal. 14 September 2001. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "India Point Railroad Bridge Awaiting Qualified Suitor". Providence Business News. 29 January 2001. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ "Demolition continues on India Point Bridge". Providence Journal. 28 December 2001. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved 31 Mar 2014.
- ^ Amaral, Brian (4 February 2020). "East Providence leaders fed up with bridge to nowhere". Providence Journal. Gannett Co., Inc. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Patrick (March 30, 2023). "The end is near for East Providence's India Point Railroad Bridge to nowhere". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ Fenton, Josh. "Old East Prov "Swing" RR Bridge Moved to "Unregulated" Site on Allens Ave in Prov". GoLocalProv. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
External links
Information
- India Point Railroad Bridge at Structurae
- Article about the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad
- Another article about the bridge
- Solicitation for bridge demolition
Images
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. RI-54, "India Point Railroad Bridge, Spanning Seekonk River between Providence & East Providence, Providence, Providence County, RI", 23 photos, 11 data pages, 5 photo caption pages
- Flooding from the 1938 New England hurricane
- Panoramic view of the bridge