The Rhode Island Department of Transportation said that the West River Street Bridge will be closing on Friday, July 12, for around four months in order to replace a bridge that is deemed structurally deficient.
The bridge, which was built in 1955, carries around 8,000 vehicles per day and serves as a major connector road between Branch Avenue and Charles Street, according to RIDOT.
The Department of Transportation says that the bridge will be closed for an estimated four months while it works to replace the bridge. The bridge is being replaced as part of a larger project that includes drainage, sidewalk, and ADA improvements.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation says that it will be activating a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of West River Street and Charles Street in order to assist with the detouring of traffic. Pedestrian crossings will still be available during the closure.
A detour map is available on the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s website.
The funding for the project is coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation says that the project is part of their broader efforts to bring Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
