Ahhh, the good ol' Seekonk River Bridge (Structure in danger? See later post)

[Hellion1027]

Realized this weekend that I've never actually been here..so my bro and I took a trip down on Saturday.  We had planned to walk out to the main deck but chickened out once it started to rain a bit and we realized there wasn't much left to hold on to.  Considering the absolute downpour that came not too long after I guess it was kinda smart.  One day though!
Tried to venture down to the tunnel too, but the tracks are really overgrown and there's plenty of poison sumac along the way.  Being in shorts and very allergic to ivy & sumac we decided we'll come back in the winter (maybe with a pair of waders since it's all washed out down near the entrance).  Is it even open?  I saw a spelunking video from 2011 on Youtube showing what looks like a small 4ft x 4ft hole in the bottom of the Gano St side, wonder if it's been sealed yet.
Anyway, pics!











Thought this was cool, a full snake skin!

[Chief]

Nice shots dude, I've seen it a million times driving on 95 S, looks like it would def be worth a look one of these days.

[Kurt]

nice pics!

here's my set


and if you're right there, head over to India Point Park and go to the washington bridge.




1.





2.





3.





4.

[Hellion1027]

Thank y'all.  And damn nice!  Before I move back to school we're gonna grow the balls to walk out.  I went back a few days ago with my friend and we shimmied out onto the metal beams on the right side opposite the tracks and sat over the water, but I want to get under the enclave in the middle.  And what's the deal with the Washington bridge?  I've seen a few pics of the inside of rusted-out staircases and whatnot, worth checking out?  Seems pretty cool

[Kurt]

you can go inside the bridge, and go all the way down to the water, here's the top.







and a pano of the bay from the bridge

[Kurt]

here have another panorama

[Hellion1027]

Cool stuff, I'll have to check it out.

[Hellion1027]

Going to explore the tunnel sometime this week, anyone been in there recently?  Just wondering if anyone has seen or knows of people living inside it as the weather turns colder.  Scouted the path down the tracks today, the "DEATH AWAITS" scrawled over the entrance was a little discouraging but we'll see what happens I guess

[sewerRat21]

That tunnel is fun! Shoot Ademan a message he has been down there at least 100 times! If I go on a weekend or after 4pm I'd b happy to show u around

[Hellion1027]

Alright cool!  Unfortunately didn't make it due to family stuff this weekend but we will try again when I'm back over winter break.

Speaking of break(ing news), what the fuck?!



Are we looking at the end of the legendary Stuck-Up Bridge?  And fuckin' Projo, drawing attention to it like that will no doubt cause an increase in visitors.  I bet it'll play out like the Narragansett Brewery trolley barn, someone will go and set it alight (again) or try to climb and hurt/kill themselves and suddenly the cranes and crews will be out there tearing it down.

[Villain]

hahah damn.  They've been talking about taking the bridge down for years.  There were also talks of making a road through the eastside tunnel or turning it into a new railway again.  I don't know if either will happen.

I will say this though,  people have been eyeing the upper bay in general.  I expect to see big changes in the future around the area.   The tockwockton nursing home is already built facing the washington bridge and they are currently building a shopping center with condos on the old chevron land off of veterans memorial parkway in East Providence.  Also, the Jewelry District construction is starting soon now that the land has been divided up among businesses in the area. Foxpoint and the bike path on the washington bridge are also being worked on.  Providence is changing from the abandon shell it was in the nineties. I'm interested to see what it will look like in the years to come.

[CarbonCavi]

lol i wonder if anyone could lower the bridge down as a prank haha

[sewerRat21]

lol i wonder if anyone could lower the bridge down as a prank haha

[Hellion1027]

Heh, I'm sure enough WD-40 into those gears would do the trick.  Gallons and gallons.
But yeah it's surprising there hasn't been any development of Crook Point and Gano park.  My bro and I stopped by this past Saturday to scout the tunnel path again (too close to sunset again, grr) and the whole square half mile just seems like forgotten Providence.  The "Community Garden" at Gano park is one of the most depressing things, even in the summer it's just a patch of twisted metal and forgotten rejuvenation.
Met a couple who were walking off the bridge (said it was frigid out over the water) and they gave some helpful tips about getting through the cave.  Prob gonna bring a Subway sandwich too in case we gotta bribe an inhabitant

[Kurt]

last time I was in New England was November, but sometime in mid October I took a friend down to Providence to show him the I195 bridge (Washington Bridge). I hadn't been there since April of 2012 and upon my return that October night they are doing work to repair the bridge and convert it into a 'Bike Path'. The stairs leading to the actual bridge are now fenced off (you do have to scale it now). They also reboarded every single window to enter the inside of the bridge (see below)

[Hellion1027]

Now that structure I have seen recently, I did a lot of driving around Providence for work after I moved back here in May so that must've been boarded shortly after April.  I was wondering if that was the entrance as I didn't recognize it the way it was in the older picture you posted.  Too bad I never got to make it before it was boarded but it seems you have it all well documented with your pics haha

[sewerRat21]

I believe it's still possible I havnt been up there in a while but if you climb on top  of the bigger structure there is an opening with stairs to take you inside. If they'd sealed no worries ill have it open by march

[mp775]

The operators houses on the Washington Bridge are going to be "restored" as part of the bike path project, which I assume means completely sealed off from the outside world. Here's a rendering:



And yeah, tearing down the Seekonk River Bridge has come up numerous times over the years, but it's not going to happen until it becomes an actual hazard. Does anyone remember RIDOT's proposal in the 1990s to have a movie studio blow up the bridge?