The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today announced that it will be closing the Pontiac Avenue Bridge in Cranston on Monday, July 19, 2010. The bridge will remain closed to all traffic for approximately one month in order to repair damage to the bridge and erosion of the river bottom caused by the intense flooding in March.
The bridge, which carries Pontiac Avenue over the Pocasset River, carries a weight limit of 10 tons, which causes delays in truck and bus traffic in Cranston. While the bridge is closed, RIDOT will conduct repairs that will allow the weight limit to be removed.
“Pontiac Avenue is a busy roadway and the closure of this bridge will have traffic impacts,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. “The good news, however is that when the bridge reopens, truck and bus traffic no longer will need to be detoured.”
Detour maps can be found online at: http://www.dot.ri.gov/travelri/detourmaps.asp. The detours with turn-by-turn directions are as follows:
Pontiac Avenue North: Turn left onto Sockanosset Cross Road. Turn right onto Midway Road. Turn right onto Garden City Drive and follow to end to return to Pontiac Avenue.
Pontiac Avenue South: Turn right onto Garden City Drive. Turn left onto Midway Road. Turn left onto Sockanosset Cross Road and follow to end to return to Pontiac Avenue.
Sockanosset Cross Road to Pontiac Avenue North or Local Traffic on Pontiac Avenue North: Follow Pontiac Avenue North. Turn left onto Capuano Avenue. Turn right onto Garden City Drive and follow to end to return to Pontiac Avenue.
Motorists with questions can contact RIDOT’s Customer Service office at 401-222-2450 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional information will be available on RIDOT’s website (www.dot.ri.gov) and its social media sites on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Blogger.
Contact: Charles St. Martin 401-222-1362 x4007
