Say goodbye to 250 tons of toxic timber
What 250 Tons of Old Timber Have Been Holding Back
You’ve probably crossed the Point Street Bridge without giving much thought to what’s underneath it. About 300 creosote-soaked pilings have been rotting in the Providence River since the 1960s, left over from a swing mechanism that hasn’t operated in over sixty years. They leak chemicals into the water. They block boats. They compromise the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, which is the thing standing between downtown and the next big storm surge.
This fall, they’re coming out. All 250 tons of them.
A $2.3 million NOAA grant is funding the removal, led by the Coastal Resource Management Council and The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with the City of Providence and the Downtown Providence Park Network. We’ve been pushing for this since 2023, and we’re proud to have helped make it happen.
But the real story is what this unlocks.
Cleaner water flows through the river and into the bay. Safer, more open passage for kayakers, boaters, and tour operators. A hurricane barrier that can do its job without obstruction. And a stronger foundation for everything we’re building along the waterfront, from our parks walking loop and Wayfinding System to the water activation efforts that connect our public spaces to the river itself.
The river’s about to open up, and so are the possibilities!
