The Rhode Island Department of Transportation retained Pare to provide engineering services for the superstructure replacement design of Bridge No. 396 which carries Main Street/Manville Hill Road over the Blackstone River, the Blackstone River Bikeway, and the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad main line.

The project scope included evaluation for rehabilitation of the existing substructure, a full replacement of the existing bridge superstructure, permit preparation, preparation of the construction bid package, construction-phase services, and the preparation of a load rating report using the AASHTOWare bridge software.

Pare’s Preliminary Study Report evaluated construction alternatives for the replacement and their respective impacts to the surrounding community. This report led to the decision to close the bridge to vehicles and pedestrians during construction.

Pare designed a 228-foot-long, five-span structure consisting of two steel rolled girder spans, a two-span continuous steel rolled girder span, and a steel tee/concrete slab span. The replacement structure carries two lanes of traffic and two sidewalks. The project was finished on time and below budget.