By KEVIN PROFT/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Pedestrians and bicyclers could be crossing the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge as soon as fall 2016. The bridge will be built on top of the existing piers between the Point Street Bridge to the south and the Crawford Street Bridge to the north, and will connect the waterfront parks on the east and west sides of the Providence River.

The bridge is in the final stages of permitting, and an 18-month construction period is expected to begin in spring 2015, according to Lambri Zerva of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT), who spoke at a Sept. 29 meeting to update the public about the project.

Since earlier renderings, the square footage of the bridge has been reduced and a lower-deck event space has been eliminated, according to Bonnie Nickerson, the city’s director of long-range planning. Meanwhile, stylish benches and direct access onto the two eastern piers have been added. The bridge retains the character of the original plans despite these changes.

Much of the structure, including the deck of the bridge and the benches, will be built of ipe wood, a highly durable, low-maintenance product, according to Nickerson. To create continuity between the bridge and the waterfront, similar wood features will be used in the parks.

Lighting on the bridge will be incorporated in the benches instead of on traditional poles, Nickerson said. The bridge designers balanced public safety concerns with aesthetic glare issues that could diminish views and cause light pollution, she said. The lighting is designed to assure safe crossing, but will not spill-over into the night sky.

No new boat access will result from this project, according to Nickerson.

Approaching the bridge from the east, pedestrians will have two options, a lower park-like area to the south that is closer to the river’s surface and offers access points to two piers, or the arching deck of the main route over the bridge to the north. About a third of the way across the bridge the lower tier ends in a staircase that connects it to the upper tier. From there the bridge continues west as one artery.