Despite rumors to the contrary, the state has no plans to close Route 114 over Silver Creek this summer. In fact, they have no plans at all, at the moment — the job to rebuild the …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
Despite rumors to the contrary, the state has no plans to close Route 114 over Silver Creek this summer. In fact, they have no plans at all, at the moment — the job to rebuild the “structurally deficient” Silver Creek Bridge won’t even be going out to bid until April 26, according to Lisbeth Pettengill, director of communications for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
That will be a four- to five-week process, following which will be at least a year of significant utility work, not to begin until the weeks following the Fourth of July holiday. Actual bridge demolition and reconstruction will begin following the 2020 celebration. Construction is expected to take about a year and a half, with completion by the spring of 2022.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $4 million.
What kind of traffic disruptions can we expect at that location, already a bottleneck at times, and arguably one of the most trafficked in town?
That depends. According to DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin, the design of the project as a whole goes well beyond the the structure itself. Engineers are including variables like traffic, closures, and detours into the overall plan.
They do plan to construct a temporary bike path past the site, which will allow pedestrian and bike traffic to continue unimpeded.
“The structure will define the impact,” he said. “Engineering, construction methods, sequencing and detours will all be part of the design, which is not yet complete.”
Ms. Pettengill emphasized that any full closure, if that is ultimately determined to be necessary, would not be happening during the first phase of the project.
One thing that the DOT has been making an effort to do, with this and all projects moving forward, is to reach out to local communities in the advance of such disruptive projects.
“We have and will continue to communicate with the community to get input and raise awareness,” said Mr. St. Martin.