In a few weeks we will all have the opportunity to “stay local” when the Mt. Hope Bridge closes for resurfacing for 3 days and 10 hours from 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, to 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 18.

It’s for a great cause, as the bridge surface has deteriorated into a potholed washboard, but it won’t come without some inconvenience. For all who remember the re-decking project in the mid-1980s that shut the bridge down for several months, a long weekend is just a blink of an eye. But it’s also a good opportunity to get a taste of what life will be like when the next re-decking project is undertaken, which won’t be far off, as it is on Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority’s five-year plan.

Of course the most immediate concern is the impact on emergency services. Bristol won’t be able to offer mutual aid to towns on the other side of the bridge, and vice-versa; that assistance will have to come from other communities, and there are plenty. Emergency Medical Services won’t be able to transport patients to Newport Hospital, but the trip from Bristol to Fall River’s hospitals takes about the same amount of travel time, and is still closer than Providence. And Charlton Memorial Hospital is a top cardiac hospital, recently earning accolades from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for excellence in heart bypass surgery.

The leadership of Explore Bristol has taken proactive steps to work with local businesses and event venues to stay ahead of the planning, in hopes of minimizing the impact. They are calling for signage that reminds people of the closure but also puts a positive spin on the weekend. The tagline: Stay local and stay put in the East Bay.
They have also spoken to RITBA director Lori Caron Silveira about the possibility of adding additional Seastreak stops on the Providence to Newport high speed ferry over the weekend.

One local event that stands to be impacted is the Bristol Harbor Fest and Blessing of the Fleet, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16. In its 11th year, it has always been a local, community event. If summer Saturdays are when you would typically pack up the car for a trip to Second Beach, this Aug. 16 plan to stay local and enjoy where you live. And some clams.