The idea of building a
pedestrian bridge on the old
Interstate 195 (I-195) piers was suggested in 1999 by a
Rhode Island School of Design architecture student. Since money would have had to be spent on demolishing the
concrete piers, the rationale was to instead build a simple footbridge with those funds. In 2008, the
Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) allocated towards its construction. A Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition was announced in 2010 by then-
Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and then-DOT director Michael P. Lewis, which was entered by 47 design teams from as far away as
Barcelona. inFORM Studio from
Detroit was chosen as the winner from among the 11 designs that were displayed at
Providence City Hall. The cost grew dramatically due to several factors. First, that design, chosen by the city under then-Mayor
Angel Taveras in 2014, increased the cost to $8 million. In 2016, when it was found that the height of the bridge would have to be raised due to
rising sea levels, the estimated cost further inflated to $13 million, and the lowest bid the agency received was $16.9 million. In 2018, construction finally began, while changes in the price of
steel and other costs led to the final project expense ballooning to $21.9 million. Per a 2011 agreement, the bridge was transferred from
State of Rhode Island to the
City of Providence, which will maintain it, for the amount of $1. The bridge officially opened on August 9, 2019. ==Structure==