The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority said Tuesday it will receive $17 million in federal funding for a dehumidification project at the Mount Hope Bridge designed to prevent corrosion and extend the structure’s lifespan.
The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the grant through its PROTECT program, which funds infrastructure resilience projects.
The technology targets corrosion in cables and anchorages of the 96-year-old bridge connecting Portsmouth and Bristol. Officials estimate the work will extend the bridge’s life by 50 to 75 years.
“Dehumidifying the Mount Hope Bridge cables and anchorages is essential to arresting the corrosion of the individual wires in the cables,” said Lori Caron Silveira, RITBA executive director.
Sen. Jack Reed said the Trump administration had previously held up the already-awarded funds. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, helped create the PROTECT program.
The project also receives $10 million in congressional directed spending secured by Reed and Whitehouse.
RITBA completed cable air flow testing last year as part of the multi-year project. The dehumidification technology has been used on other major bridges, including the Delaware Memorial Bridge and Pittsburgh’s South Tenth Street Bridge.
The Mount Hope Bridge opened in 1929 and will reach its centennial in 2029.
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