The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today announced that it will be closing the Chestnut Hill Road Bridge in Glocester on Monday, September 13, 2010. The bridge will be closed for approximately one year.
The bridge carries Chestnut Hill Road over the Chepachet River and has a weight limit of 6 tons, which prohibits its use by trucks, emergency response vehicles and school buses. The bridge was built in 1908, last rehabilitated in 1954 and while it is safe for travel it is considered structurally deficient due to deteriorated steel girders.
The $1.2 million rehabilitation project involves a complete replacement of the bridge, construction of a replacement spillway structure adjacent to the bridge and wetland restoration.
“We are working aggressively to address deteriorated bridges across the State,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. “We apologize for any inconvenience this project may cause, but motorists should know that by closing the bridge completely we will be able to build the new structure as quickly as possible.”
During the closure motorists can use Route 44 (Putnam Pike) and Pine Orchard Road to detour around the closed bridge. A detour map can be found online at: http://www.dot.ri.gov/travelri/detourmaps.asp.
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
