Officials mark start of long-overdue reconstruction of 6-10 interchange

Monday
Jan 8, 2018 at 9:33 PM Jan 8, 2018 at 9:35 PM

On Monday offiicials celebrated the start of a $410 million, three-decades-in-the-making construction project to rebuild and improve the congested, confusing Routes 6 and 10 interchange in Providence.

Patrick Anderson Journal Staff Writer patrickanderso_

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Year after year, Rhode Island elected officials have stood underneath the cracked overpasses of the Routes 6 and 10 interchange in Providence talking about the need to replace them.

On Monday they were back under the old bridge again — this time in a semi-heated tent — celebrating the start of a $410 million, three-decades-in-the-making construction project to rebuild and improve the congested, confusing interchange.

"Rhode islanders deserve good roads, good bridges and safe roads and bridges," Gov. Gina Raimondo said at the project kick-off event. "This one, like so many, has not been safe for decades. About 100,000 vehicles pass over this exchange every day, and they deserve to have the peace of mind that they will get to the other side safely."

The project

Several radical designs were proposed over months of debate in 2015 and 2016, including turning the highway into a surface boulevard, burying it in a tunnel and replacing ramps with a "halo" elevated rotary.

But in the end, state and city planners settled on a rebuild plan that maintains the basic design of the current highways with a few changes to make traffic flow smoother and make the river of steel and asphalt less disruptive to the neighborhood around it.

— Highways lanes will dip beneath Broadway and Westminster Street instead of over them, which planners hope will help reconnect Federal Hill with Olneyville Square.

— The Tobey Street bridge will be turned into a neighborhood street with the highway on-ramp further south to prevent congestion-causing weaving onto Route 10 South.

— A new flyover ramp will be built to connect Route 10 North to Route 6 West.

— 1.4 miles of bike lanes will be added across the 6-10 corridor.

 

Timing

The ground was frozen at Monday's event, and the project isn't shovel-ready for a groundbreaking in any case.

Just last month, a $248 million design-build contract was awarded to a consortium led by Barletta Heavy Division. The contractor is starting engineering work.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said crews likely will begin test borings this spring when the ground softens up. Major construction isn't expected to begin until late 2018 or spring 2019. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2023.

 

Disruptions

"Every construction project will have a certain amount of disruptions," said DOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. "The inconvenience is temporary but the improvements will be permanent. Specifics will unfold as the final design unfolds."

The DOT hopes to minimize some of the construction-related inconvenience to drivers by using new bridge replacement techniques highlighted recently on the East Shore Expressway Bridge over Route 195 in East Providence.

Instead of rebuilding a bridge piece-by-piece with long partial closures, the new technique involves building an entirely new span nearby, closing the entire highway, then demolishing the old bridge and sliding the new span quickly into place.

This alternative method, which Alviti described as "ripping the Band-Aid off," results in much shorter disruptions and is expected to be used extensively on the 6-10 project.

A DOT news release said the winning bid also proposed "rerouting and phasing the traffic throughout the project to ease the impact of construction on streets and neighborhoods."

 

Tolls

Supporters of creating a statewide truck-toll network to raise money for bridge repair highlighted the need to fix the seven structurally deficient bridges in the 6-10 interchange as a pillar of their campaign.

On Monday Raimondo and Alviti said the approval of tolls has made the 6-10 project possible. The first tolls are expected to become operational next month.

Around 80 percent of the funding for the 6-10 project will come from the federal government. The state has issued bonds to fund the project until the federal transportation money arrives, and to pay the remaining 20 percent of project costs. Tolls and other state revenues will repay those bonds. 

Jobs

Labor leaders, consultants, construction industry executives and building tradespeople packed the back of the tent hosting the 6-10 event Monday, demonstrating their excitement over the project.

"You know what the best part of repairing 120 bridges is," said Raimondo, speaking of statewide efforts that include the 6-10 project. "Thousands of people are working. Thousands of people are working who hadn't worked in a long time rebuilding our roads and bridges."

— panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: @PatrickAnderso_

Monday
Jan 8, 2018 at 9:33 PM Jan 8, 2018 at 9:35 PM

On Monday offiicials celebrated the start of a $410 million, three-decades-in-the-making construction project to rebuild and improve the congested, confusing Routes 6 and 10 interchange in Providence.

Patrick Anderson Journal Staff Writer patrickanderso_

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Year after year, Rhode Island elected officials have stood underneath the cracked overpasses of the Routes 6 and 10 interchange in Providence talking about the need to replace them.

On Monday they were back under the old bridge again — this time in a semi-heated tent — celebrating the start of a $410 million, three-decades-in-the-making construction project to rebuild and improve the congested, confusing interchange.

"Rhode islanders deserve good roads, good bridges and safe roads and bridges," Gov. Gina Raimondo said at the project kick-off event. "This one, like so many, has not been safe for decades. About 100,000 vehicles pass over this exchange every day, and they deserve to have the peace of mind that they will get to the other side safely."

The project

Several radical designs were proposed over months of debate in 2015 and 2016, including turning the highway into a surface boulevard, burying it in a tunnel and replacing ramps with a "halo" elevated rotary.

But in the end, state and city planners settled on a rebuild plan that maintains the basic design of the current highways with a few changes to make traffic flow smoother and make the river of steel and asphalt less disruptive to the neighborhood around it.

— Highways lanes will dip beneath Broadway and Westminster Street instead of over them, which planners hope will help reconnect Federal Hill with Olneyville Square.

— The Tobey Street bridge will be turned into a neighborhood street with the highway on-ramp further south to prevent congestion-causing weaving onto Route 10 South.

— A new flyover ramp will be built to connect Route 10 North to Route 6 West.

— 1.4 miles of bike lanes will be added across the 6-10 corridor.

 

Timing

The ground was frozen at Monday's event, and the project isn't shovel-ready for a groundbreaking in any case.

Just last month, a $248 million design-build contract was awarded to a consortium led by Barletta Heavy Division. The contractor is starting engineering work.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said crews likely will begin test borings this spring when the ground softens up. Major construction isn't expected to begin until late 2018 or spring 2019. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2023.

 

Disruptions

"Every construction project will have a certain amount of disruptions," said DOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. "The inconvenience is temporary but the improvements will be permanent. Specifics will unfold as the final design unfolds."

The DOT hopes to minimize some of the construction-related inconvenience to drivers by using new bridge replacement techniques highlighted recently on the East Shore Expressway Bridge over Route 195 in East Providence.

Instead of rebuilding a bridge piece-by-piece with long partial closures, the new technique involves building an entirely new span nearby, closing the entire highway, then demolishing the old bridge and sliding the new span quickly into place.

This alternative method, which Alviti described as "ripping the Band-Aid off," results in much shorter disruptions and is expected to be used extensively on the 6-10 project.

A DOT news release said the winning bid also proposed "rerouting and phasing the traffic throughout the project to ease the impact of construction on streets and neighborhoods."

 

Tolls

Supporters of creating a statewide truck-toll network to raise money for bridge repair highlighted the need to fix the seven structurally deficient bridges in the 6-10 interchange as a pillar of their campaign.

On Monday Raimondo and Alviti said the approval of tolls has made the 6-10 project possible. The first tolls are expected to become operational next month.

Around 80 percent of the funding for the 6-10 project will come from the federal government. The state has issued bonds to fund the project until the federal transportation money arrives, and to pay the remaining 20 percent of project costs. Tolls and other state revenues will repay those bonds. 

Jobs

Labor leaders, consultants, construction industry executives and building tradespeople packed the back of the tent hosting the 6-10 event Monday, demonstrating their excitement over the project.

"You know what the best part of repairing 120 bridges is," said Raimondo, speaking of statewide efforts that include the 6-10 project. "Thousands of people are working. Thousands of people are working who hadn't worked in a long time rebuilding our roads and bridges."

— panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: @PatrickAnderso_

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