Adam RollinsThis story was originally published in the Government Contracting Pipeline newsletter from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. To have the latest government contracting news stories from across the country delivered straight to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
The city of Providence is in the design phase of a $10.8 million project to improve the Riverwalk and increase its structural resiliency, accessibility and mobility.
The Providence Riverwalk Resilience Project will make the Riverwalk ADA-accessible, resilient to flood events, integrated with the city’s urban trail network, and designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
To enhance accessibility, the city will develop an ADA-compliant shared-use path; build seven ADA access points to ensure residents can easily access the Riverwalk and integrate the Riverwalk with the city’s existing 55-mile trail network. In addition, the city will raise the shared-use path and Riverwalk above the average flood elevation.
The project will also replace the existing pedestrian bridge, building a multimodal ADA-compliant alternative designed to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. This includes replacing the unsafe pedestrian tunnels with an additional bicycle and pedestrian bridge to connect the Riverwalk to the city’s civic plaza and transportation hub.
The city will install additional crosswalks, naturalize riverbanks beneath the shared-use path and install technologies to assist mobility. These technologies will include adaptive signal control to adjust signal timing designed to handle changing traffic patterns, improve travel time reliability, reduce congestion and mitigate emissions.
The project will also demolish select Riverwalk walls, address structural deficiencies in the remaining walls and install wayfinding and interpretive signage to improve navigability. Once completed, the project will provide critical resilience measures to protect the Riverwalk area, enhance water quality, reduce transportation costs and improve public health.
Photo courtesy dconvertini
