Rhode Island Roads - Henderson Bridge

Henderson Bridge


The Henderson Bridge is part of an abandoned attempt to extend a short US 44 freeway east from I-195 toward Fall River, Mass., leaving ghosts at both ends and extra ROW at I-195, plus a high-speed EB I-195 ramp that terminates into the local Angell Street. The US 44 freeway would have come off this exit, paralleled the street and the river, then turned eastward over the bridge, continuing easterly until meeting its surface alignment.


Starting with the westerm stub, including an original storm grate. As you can see, this end has a bit of tree clearing, but the stub is fairly short, and right of way does not extend much beyond here.


Originally, traffic was allowed to use the full width of the bridge, but at some point, possibly when RIDOT realized neither direction of the freeway was likely to ever be completed, barriers were installed to close off the left lane, leaving two on either side.


I'm not done with the western stub yet, but these photos are WB at the other end of the bridge, where traffic in that direction is forced over into just one lane. There COULD be two lanes here, but instead the WB side has a shoulder that the EB side lacks.


Leaving the west stub, we start off with some EB bubble shields on Waterman St. at the beginning of the freeway, which is the only access in this direction.


Up onto the bridge, past the WB stub, to the only intermediate exit at Massasoit Ave. (which goes right, the Expressway going left). Well, it's slightly better than a bubble shield.


There is a Massasoit Ave. exit WB, but there is no EB onramp. Instead, there is this ghost grading and a notch in the freeway pavement.


The other end of the EB ghost grade, from Wilmarth Ave., the road immediately to the south.


Not only is that button copy, a very old rarity for the Ocean State, but it's incorrect button copy. RI 152 never occupied this part of Broadway, even though at RI 114 to the north, it is signed in both directions when it in fact ends there.



Before we study the eastern stub, here's the westbound signage:




Looking eastward at the eastern stub end, which is marked off by more pylons. I guess they don't really want to keep people off of the pavement. The EB pavement peters out well short of the overpass, but the WB pavement begins on the other side of it, due to the NB-WB loop ramp merging in.


Unlike at the western stub end, the eastern end, here seen from the WB lanes, has ROW preserved all the way out to US 44.


Concrete curb and gore in the unused WB lanes.


Walking down the graded but unpaved EB side, starting on the eastern side of Broadway and continuing to where pavement starts poking up through the grass.


Staring back toward my lovely blue Ford Taurus, facing eastward.

To I-195
To US 44
Henderson Expressway (Bridge) on Steve Anderson's bostonroads.com
Back to Rhode Island Roads
Back to Roads

Bonus: Here are two photos of the Red Bridge, which was replaced by the Henderson. It connected Waterman St. (which now feeds EB into the Henderson) and, surprise, Waterman Ave. in East Providence. Now, Waterman Ave. turns straight into Massasoit Ave., leaving a dangling participle crossing the railroad tracks and ending at the water. From that participle, we see original guiderail from when this was a bridge, and look across to the building now on the western abutment.