Those driving on Route 138 near the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge, residents who live nearby or boaters in Narragansett Bay will notice activity this week around the remaining portion of the old Jamestown Bridge – a sign that demolition will soon begin.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has awarded a $961,000 contract to Reagan Construction Corporation of Middletown to remove the trestle portion of the old bridge extending into the Bay from the North Kingstown shore. The 1,600-foot span is all that remains of the 70-year-old bridge which was replaced by the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge in 1992.
Among the first steps in the demolition process is the placement of buoys around the perimeter of the old bridge, creating a 200-foot area in which boating will be prohibited. After all buoys are installed, additional information about the no-boating area will be issued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
RIDOT is reviewing final plans with the contractor prior to beginning demolition of the bridge. The Department does not have a firm date for this work to begin, but expects it to start in mid to late November. Once demolition begins, the work will take approximately three months and will continue through the winter if weather permits. The contract will conclude in the spring with minor site work and drainage work.
Unlike the demolition of the old Jamestown in 2006 which used controlled explosives, this phase of demolition will not involve any detonations. The bridge will be removed mechanically with cranes and other equipment from barges and/or the old bridge itself. RIDOT does not expect any phase of this work to result in any closures of Route 138 or the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge, as was the case with the explosive demolition four years ago.
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