Starting Monday a major east/west connector, Metro Center Boulevard, will be closed to southbound traffic at the Airport Connector Bridge for more than a year. Northbound traffic will be open, …
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Starting Monday a major east/west connector, Metro Center Boulevard, will be closed to southbound traffic at the Airport Connector Bridge for more than a year. Northbound traffic will be open, although in the process of bridge repairs, traffic lanes may switch. The decision to close the southbound lane was based on travel counts showing more traffic traveled north, according to the state Department of Transportation.
According to Charles St. Martin, spokesman of DOT, the work will save larger costs down the road. If repairs were delayed, he said, they could be three to four times more costly.
The bridge will remain open for northbound traffic, while those traveling south will face a detour on Jefferson Boulevard to Main Avenue (Route 113) then west to Greenwich Avenue (Route 5), which routes to the other side of Metro Center Boulevard.
According to a statement from RIDOT, “the temporary close” is for repairs to the deck, joint replacement, steel beam repairs and repainting the bridge as crews work weekly from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work is estimated to be completed by August 2017.
Combined with other work going on, there is one construction contract that does more than one bridge, so the project covers this bridge. There is currently an $8 million budget for seven bridges, which makes it more cost-effective. Cardi Corporation has been contracted for this bridge repair. Repairs to this bridge are estimated at $750,000, St. Martin said.
The painting will mostly happen during overnight hours, but the crew has to be stationed below on the Airport Connector. Painting work takes place on the steel components under the bridge. Workers will try to have this take place at night, but there may be lane closings overnight.
For more information visit www.dot.ri.gov/travel/traveladvisories.php. Questions or concerns can be directed to the Customer Service Office at 222-2450 or via email at customerservice@dot.ri.gov.
All work is dependent upon the weather, which means the schedule may change, but the bridge is expected to reopen in August 2017. Such a long way into the future, the closing is bound to inconvenience the business community.
2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Drew
They should keep it open for both directions and use temporary traffic signal like they did on Lakeshore Drive. Wethersfield Commons will be getting cut through traffic from this and it'll be a quite inconvenient detour
Thursday, May 12, 2016 Report this
Justanidiot
Over a year?
Why are they rushing this project?
There is feather bedding, cronyism, cost over runs, re-designs, contractor screwups to fix at cost plus, and so much more that goes into each bridge project.
I think a year is optimistic. They should try to be like the big boys and go for at least a decade like they did in Barrington. Or is Warwick to blue collar to get a project like that.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 Report this