Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition Sparks Interest from Around the World

September 20, 2010

Selection committee begins reviewing credentials of local firms and companies from as far away as Spain and China

PROVIDENCE - The next step in the Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition is well underway as architectural firms from around the world position themselves to compete for the top bridge design. Mayor David N. Cicilline announced that approximately 47 firms have responded to the City's request for qualifications, including 12 local firms and companies from around the world including Spain, France, Sweden, England and China.

The Mayor kicked off the Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition September 10th inviting firms to play an important role in linking pedestrians and cyclists from Fox Point and College Hill to the City's new waterfront parks, the Knowledge District and downtown. "The fact that the Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition has generated so much interest from a variety of architectural firms bodes well for this project," said Mayor Cicilline.

The Pedestrian Bridge Design Committee, comprised of local architects, neighborhood residents, representatives from local universities, business owners, RIDOT and the City, will review the firms' qualifications and invite up to 10 finalists to submit bridge designs.

The firms will be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

• Experience of key personnel
• Prior design experience with pedestrian bridge projects of similar scale and complexity
• Articulated understanding of the functional and operational needs of the proposed bridge
• Commitment to developing a proposed bridge design within the timeframes and constraints outlined in the Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Public input encouraged
Once the finalists present their design proposals, which must be submitted to the Department of Planning & Development by Friday, October 29th, the public will also have an opportunity to review and comment on the designs, which will be on display in City Hall the first week of November. The Committee will take the public's comments into consideration when selecting the winning design.

Mayor Cicilline will announce the winning design the last week in November. RIDOT will use the design to construct the pedestrian bridge on the granite piers of the old I-195 bridge, which will be dismantled as part of the highway relocation project. The pedestrian bridge is slated for completion in 2013.

Click here for a complete list of firms that submitted their qualifications for the bridge design competition.