Point Street Bridge

The first bridge at this site was built in 1872.{{cite web|title=Providence's Golden Age: 1868-1899|url=http://www.providenceri.com/archives/history/city-history?page=0,6|work=Providence City Archives|publisher=City of Providence, RI|access-date=24 November 2012}} It consisted of a swing span {{convert|249|ft|m}} in length with two {{convert|145|ft|m}} shore spans. In 1907, each of the approach spans was divided into three plate-girder spans carried on new granite piers and abutments. However, funding was insufficient to replace the swing span, so its length was merely increased to {{convert|284|ft|m}}.{{cite journal|last1=Maker|first1=G. W.|title=Foundation Problems in Enlarging Center Pier of Swing Bridge at Providence|journal=Engineering News-Record|date=8 December 1927|volume=99|issue=23|page=927}}

File:Point Street Bridge - Rhode Island - NARA - 68158654 (cropped).jpg

The current bridge is the third at this site. It is also a swing bridge and was built by the Boston Bridge Works in 1927.{{cite web|title=Historic Highway Bridges of Rhode Island|url=http://www.preservation.ri.gov/pdfs_zips_downloads/survey_pdfs/hwy_bridges.pdf|publisher=Rhode Island Department of Transportation|page=50|access-date=15 June 2014}} The bridge is no longer moveable but fixed in place to allow Point Street traffic to cross. It was last swung open in 1959.{{cite news|last=Mingis|first=Ken|title=Rebuilding a bridge to the past *The iron gridwork of the Point Street Bridge will be preserved, but the bridge will no longer swing open.|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/397209819|access-date=4 August 2014|newspaper=Providence Journal|date=17 January 1997}} The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, downstream of the Point Street Bridge and completed in 1966, rendered the swing feature of little value, because the Barrier blocks large vessels from traveling upstream before the bridge would.

After WW-II, Route 1A became a major route carrying traffic from southern RI to the East Side of Providence, and points east. The Point Street Bridge was part of that route, and on exceptionally hot summer days, the bridge would expand after it opened, and with nowhere to bleed off the heat, it expanded to a point where it couldn't be closed. Traffic built up for several miles and fire tankers had to be summoned to shoot water on the bridge until it shrunk back to a size (only an inch or two) so it could be closed and let traffic resume.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Bicycle lane markings were added to the bridge as part of the city's 2013 Bicycle Master Plan.{{cite web |title=Bike Providence: A Bicycling Master Plan for Providence |url=https://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Planning-bike-providence-2014.pdf |website=City of Providence |publisher=Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc |access-date=16 September 2022 |page=63 |format=PDF |date=November 2013 |quote=Improve bike accommodation on the Point Street Bridge via a marked shared lane westbound and a bike lane east bound.}}

• {{Portal-inline|Transport}}
• {{Portal-inline|Engineering}}
• {{Portal-inline|Rhode Island}}

{{Reflist}}

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A previous [https://www.provlibdigital.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A11618/datastream/OBJ/view Point Street Bridge] from the Providence Public Library's Digital Collections

Article containing a photograph of the previous [http://www.providencejournal.com/cars/content/20130901-carsjournal-archives-mystery-bridge-provides-a-link-to-providences-past.ece Point Street Bridge] from the Providence Journal

Category:Swing bridges in the United States

Category:Bridges in Providence County, Rhode Island

Category:Road bridges in Rhode Island

Category:Bridges completed in 1927

Category:1927 establishments in Rhode Island

Category:Steel bridges in the United States

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