Workers will completely strip away the asphalt in bad stretches, cut out the tree roots and put down a new layer of pavement

On her almost daily trip to the East Bay Bike Path one morning, Esther Robbins hit her stride by the time she ran past Barrington’s Brickyard Pond. She was pushing her 2-year-old, Noah, in a stroller and following closely behind 5-year-old Elijah atop his little bike.

Then came the series of heaves in the asphalt, traversing the width of the path and rising sharply like waves breaking at the beach. Whump-whump-whump went the tires and training wheels on Elijah’s bike.

"I want it smooth," he said when asked a moment later about the rough patch.

"It’s really hard for him," his mom said, adding, "I can’t take him scootering because it’s so bumpy."

Pedaling along the East Bay Bike Path can be one of the most tranquil cycling experiences anywhere, offering water views and an escape from cars and roads. But these days, certain stretches can be brain-rattling, spine-jarring bronco rides.

It’s gotten so bad that workers next week will descend on Rhode Island’s first multi-city bike path — completed 24 years ago — to undertake repairs.

"Most of this is due to age," said Meredith Brady, administrator of planning for the state Department of Transportation. "People are clearly noticing a difference in the smoothness of the path."

In addition to maintaining Rhode Island’s 1,099 miles of state roads — which any motorist knows is a struggle for the DOT — the state now has eight bike paths to maintain. That’s another 60 miles of pavement and bridge surfaces to keep smooth.

"Fortunately, it doesn’t have the same wear and tear," Brady said. "I don’t think we have a worry about maintaining what we have," she said, but "we have to balance" the needs of bike paths with "providing a state of good repair on our roads and highways."

About a year ago, plans called for resurfacing virtually the entire length of the 14.5-mile path, which Brady characterized as Rhode Island’s "showpiece bike path." But following the arrival of new leadership, DOT shifted gears.

"RIDOT carefully reviewed pavement conditions on the path and chose to work on segments showing the greatest need. This frees up funds for other important bike path improvements elsewhere in the state," said spokesman Charles St. Martin.

One beneficiary of the savings is a project to extend the Blackstone River Bikeway in Providence — three-quarters of a mile from Gano Street to Waterman Street in Providence — to better link it to the East Bay Bike Path. That project, with a price tag of $2.5 million, will begin in July and and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017.

The decision on the East Bay Bike Path makes sense to bicycling advocates.

"We were concerned last year that they weren’t taking detours into account enough. With the smaller spot fixes, it seems like only a couple will need detours and just for a day," said Alex Krogh-Grabbe, executive director of the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition.

Besides, he added, "I prefer to focus my attention on conditions on the road that are actually hazardous to people biking and to paths that need to be built to make connections" between existing bikeways.

The root of many of the problems is just that — roots. Because the former rail corridor passes through leafy sections of the East Bay, tree roots are able to spread beneath the asphalt and grow toward the surface. The pressure displaces and cracks the pavement. Past repairs on the bike path — in 2002, 2007 and 2009 — have dealt with tree root and other damage.

"There’s no management system that will eliminate any kind of tree root breakthroughs," said Brady.

So workers will completely strip away the asphalt in bad stretches, cut out the tree roots and put down a new layer of pavement, she said.

In addition, the project will address erosion that threatens to undermine the path as it skirts the shore of Bristol Harbor. Also, rotted planks will be replaced on the wooden footbridges in Barrington.

When the work is done, longtime bike path rider Fred Morris, of East Providence, will no longer have to take evasive maneuvers when getting to the bumpy stretches.

"I ride on the grass because I don't have enough padding in the back," he said, gesturing at his posterior. "You have to get off the bike path. It's a lot smoother ride."

— rsalit@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @RichSalit