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laterbacon t1_j9dk5c7 wrote

Reply to comment by TheSausageFattener in The city has changed a lot in the last century by kayakhomeless

As bad as it is, it could have been even worse here. The Henderson Bridge that's being replaced now was built to be the first link in an expressway that was supposed to blast through the east side. Basically instead of ending downtown, route 10 would have continued through downtown, over College Hill, over the Henderson Bridge, through EP, and rejoin 195 somewhere around Seekonk. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Bridge_(Rhode_Island)#Henderson_Expressway)

Also Route 37 was supposed to continue through Warwick over the bay via a new bridge to Barrington, joining up with 195 as well. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Route_37#Proposed_extensions)

295 too is only half of what was supposed to be a full ring road incorporating the Jamestown & Newport bridges, and a new highway up Aquidneck Island over a new Mount Hope Bridge, through Bristol, crossing 195 and linking up with the existing 295 in Attleboro. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_895_(Rhode_Island%E2%80%93Massachusetts))

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WickedDog310 t1_j9g5z1f wrote

I knew about Rt. 37, but not the other too. Thanks! As an East Bay'r I do wish the 37 project had given us another bridge and connected to 114. It would greatly reduce the congestion on 95/195. There are days I just need to get to Warwick or Coventry and I know they aren't far going with the current set up, but it would be so but easier with another bridge and stop routing so much traffic from the East Bay through Providence when so much is just trying to get to Warwick.

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RandomChurn t1_j9enrqx wrote

>Basically instead of ending downtown, route 10 would have continued through downtown, over College Hill, over the Henderson Bridge, through EP, and rejoin 195 somewhere around Seekonk.

Omg: horrific! 😳 Can't believe anyone anywhere ever could have thought this was a good idea

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laterbacon t1_j9fnrpk wrote

It's hard to imagine now, but College Hill was basically a slum in the mid 20th century. Plowing highways through "blighted" areas was seen as the ticket to revitalization because the horribly misguided thinking was that the big problem with cities was suburbanites not being able to drive to them.

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