Progress finally seen on long-awaited 6-10 Interchange in R.I.

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Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo speaks at the recent ceremony for revamping the 6-10 Interchange in Providence.Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo speaks at the recent ceremony for revamping the 6-10 Interchange in Providence.

After a 30-year wait, Rhode Islanders are finally seeing movement on revamping the 6-10 Interchange in Providence.

The $410 million project will address the highway link’s seven structurally deficient bridges, as well as reduce traffic congestion between Route 6 and Route 10. The state has spent millions over the years installing temporary supports and making other repairs to keep the highway safe and open, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

“For too long, the disrepair of this interchange symbolized Rhode Island’s failure to invest in ourselves,” Gov. Gina Raimondo said during a recent kickoff ceremony for the project. “Today, we’re taking a big step forward. Working with federal, state and local supporters, RIDOT will revitalize the 6-10, bringing it into a state of good repair while also creating greenspace, bike paths and good construction jobs for Rhode Islanders.”

A joint venture called 6/10 Constructors won the contract for the design-build project. According to RIDOT, the joint venture consists of Barletta Heavy Division, O&G Industries Inc., D.W. White Construction Inc., Aetna Bridge Company, AECOM, VHB, Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants Inc., Crossman Engineering and McMahon Associates.

RIDOT says the design-build contract will save time because construction and design work will proceed simultaneously. It will include accelerated bridge construction and other methods designed to speed up the project’s completion and minimize traffic disruption.

“Because the designer and the contractor are part of one team, the risk of cost overruns is reduced,” RIDOT says. “In addition, this approach historically leads to fewer change orders and design errors that would affect the cost of the job.”

About 20 percent of the project’s design has been done, with completion expected within a year. RIDOT is also working to get federal environmental permits. After that, construction can start, with an expected completion of Fall 2023.