TIVERTON/PORTSMOUTH — The R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) touted it as a spectacular sight that residents would want to line up to see, but onlookers hoping to witness the removal of the old Sakonnet River Bridge’s center span over the weekend were disappointed.

The massive truss of the 62-year-old bridge was originally scheduled to be separated from the Portsmouth and Tiverton sides on Friday, April 6, then lowered onto a barge platform and floated up Mt. Hope Bay to be cut apart in Fall River.

However, foul weather didn’t permit the job to start on Friday or Saturday. RIDOT then said contractors would try again on Sunday, which turned out to be a clear and calm day.

But onlookers gathered on Riverside Drive and at the end of the old railroad bridge abutment on the Tiverton side never got to see the center span lowered onto the two barges tied together below. There was some welding, cutting of steel and inspections, but the truss stayed where it was.

On Monday, work had come to a virtual standstill and DOT was initially tightlipped on the reason why.

Late Monday afternoon, Charles St. Martin, RIDOT’s chief of public affairs, explained the delay in an e-mail to East Bay Newspapers.

“The latest word on this is Friday,” Mr. St. Martin said. “Crews determined more stability was needed in the barge assembly, and that’s why it did not happen today. Some supplies that are needed are due in by the end of the week, so it’s going to be Friday at the earliest. We’ll update you as we get closer.”

Jody Richards, RIDOT’s project manager, previously said the operation would take about 10 hours.

First phase

This is the first phase of the demolition project, which began in March 2017. After the center truss is removed, removal of the remaining steel superstructure is scheduled to be completed in July.

The second phase will include removal of the in-water and land-based substructure, perhaps with use of controlled explosives as it did for part of the railroad trestle adjacent to the old bridge, RIDOT said.

RIDOT does not yet have a cost estimate for the second phase, but intends to begin work as soon as possible after completion of the first contract. Mr. Richards said he anticipates completion of phase two to be in late 2019 or 2020.

The old Sakonnet River Bridge was originally opened in 1956. It was closed in 2012 with the opening of the new bridge.