Work on at least one of the bridges connected to Aquidneck Island is expected to be completed by the end of this week.
The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) has announced that the driving surface of Mt. Hope’s bridge deck that began mid-March is expected to be complete by Friday, June 23. This work included repairing a number of concrete spalls (or potholes) to the driving surface as well as the installation of 12 new “test sections.”
With advances in roadway surfaces which include new materials and application techniques, RITBA is undertaking the initial steps of long-term testing to find the best roadway deck material to use for future improvements on the Mount Hope Bridge deck. RITBA has set up twelve different test sections on the bridge deck to assess a variety of different asphalt and concrete materials. The materials being tested on the bridge deck will stay in place for 3 years so that RITBA can evaluate the performance of the various options. This work resulted in daily and nighttime lane closures which left large depressions in the deck surface. These test sections will all be finished this week and there will no longer be any unfinished sections on the bridge.
As Bristol, R.I. celebrates the oldest Fourth of July Celebration in the United States of America, it is important to note there will be no lane closures associated with this project on the Mount Hope Bridge beginning June 29, 2017, and running through September 10, 2017.
As for the Pell Bridge, the current phase of the project with permanent 24/7 single travel lanes in each direction is scheduled until Thursday, June 29. From June 29 through September 18, there will be no permanent lane closures, as work for this project will be done beneath the bridge via barge. Permanent 24/7 single travel lanes in each direction will resume on Tuesday, September 19.
To stay up-to-date and receive the latest on construction activity and real-time traffic, visit RITBA’s traffic site at RITBA.org.