By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — It could have been just another mundane overpass, but thanks to the vision of city officials and a group of interested citizens, Pawtucket River Bridge #550 will stand as an iconic landmark for motorists.

At a meeting of Mayor James Doyle’s I-95 Bridge Task Force at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center Thursday, Richard Kazarian unveiled the attractive new design that will replace the two crumbling spans on I-95 at the School Street and George Street exits. Kazarian is chairman of the Bridge Task Force, which has solicited and channeled citizen input regarding bridge aesthetics.
The $100 million project is expected to be advertised to potential bidders this July, with construction to begin approximately a year from now, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Funds from the federal economic stimulus package will not be used for the span’s construction, according to Kazem Farhoumand, RIDOT’s chief engineer. RIDOT has already identified $130 to $150 million in other “shovel-ready projects” to be paid for with stimulus money.
Kazarian, a local antiques dealer and art historian, stressed that the bridge design was a collaborative effort between city leaders, the Pawtucket Foundation and other civic organizations, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Authority, as well as local residents who provided key input and expertise. The design, too, evolved from several sources, including Commonwealth Engineers, Newport Collaborative Architects and Gates Leighton.
The design for the approximately 300-foot span features a deck that carries the highway lanes of I-95 in both directions, as the bridge does now. An additional lane that forms a third bridge span will carry a service road to facilitate traffic flow at the School Street and George Street ramps. The deck itself will be dressed up with ornamental pylons topped with sculptures featuring a stylized “wing” motif.
Underneath the deck is a graceful arch bridge that echoes the 1820s-era Division Street Bridge that sits alongside it. The arch spans the river, while a smaller adjacent tunnel will span Pleasant Street.
At night, the combination of clear and crystal blue lighting will illuminate the outline of the bridge deck and the wing sculptures. The base of the arch and the inside of the Pleasant Street tunnel will also feature interior lighting. As an added feature, the blue LED lighting will be changeable to other colors as desired.
Kazarian noted that the new design will enhance safety for both motorists and the pedestrians and bicyclists who pass under the highway. “It will be the opposite of the dreary, dark and damp environment that we have there now,” he stated.
The bridge pylons will be made of an amalgamation of building materials that will be durable and long lasting while providing a “subdued silver reflective surface,” Kazarian said. The wing motif on the sculptures is a nod to the city’s past, he said, borrowed from the eagles’ wing designs that flank the entryway to Pawtucket City Hall and are repeated at the top of the building’s central tower. He added that a wing design also symbolizes “the power to soar upward.”
In his presentation, Kazarian noted that it was just about a year ago when a meeting was held with RIDOT officials to discuss the necessity of replacing the antiquated, deteriorating Pawtucket River Bridge for safety purposes.
At the time, he said, no consideration was given to the look of the structure. It was only after a group of forward-thinking individuals spoke up that the idea took shape to have a bridge with an aesthetically pleasing design that would serve as a “gateway” to Pawtucket.
Kazarian stressed that both RIDOT and the Federal Highway Authority were very cooperative in working with city officials and the Bridge Task Force to come up with a design that is attractive, functional and still within a realistic budget and construction timetable.
He singled out Farhoumand for his openness to the task force’s ideas. Thanks to the group effort, “We went from the replacement of an overpass to an iconic landmark,” Kazarian stated.
He added that plans are also under way for a contest soliciting designs that will illustrate life in Pawtucket through embossed panels on the bridge’s stonework. There are also plans to add signage that will direct motorists to local attractions, and to create a park-like setting and bike path underneath the arch that spans the river.