The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is scheduled to close Dyer Street in Providence at the old I-195 overpass this weekend, April 9-10, 2011. This section of Dyer Street, from Clifford Street to Ship Street, must be closed to allow for safe demolition of the old highway bridge, part of a $6.8 million Iway demolition contract.
RIDOT intends to close the bridge at 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, and reopen the road by 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 10. The current schedule calls for this road to be closed again the following weekend, April 16-17, 2011. All schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change.
The road will be closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians, and will allow RIDOT to demolish the bridge in a quick and safe manner. The closure is the latest in a series of demolitions scheduled to take place this year in Providence. The Department anticipates the entire highway demolition project to conclude in late summer.
“We understand these closures can be difficult for pedestrians and motorists,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. “We will work diligently to reopen this road as soon as possible.”
Unlike the recent two-week closure of a segment of Richmond Street – which is scheduled to reopen on Friday, April 8, 2011 – RIDOT is only closing Dyer Street on weekends to avoid disrupting weekday access to and from the busy J. Joseph Garrahy Judicial Complex. This detour also will be simpler than the Richmond Street detour because this portion of Dyer Street is a one-way road heading south.
During this project, RIDOT will demolish more than 3,500 feet of old I-195 and seven bridges. Former Iway contracts demolished an additional 1,500 feet of old highway. Old I-195 was built in the late 1950s and was officially closed in October 2009.
RIDOT has established detour routes for both vehicles and pedestrians for this closure. Access to local businesses will be maintained. The detours are as follows:
Vehicular Detours
Dyer Street Southbound:
• Turn right onto Clifford Street
• Turn left onto Richmond Street
• Turn left onto Ship Street to return to Dyer Street at Eddy Street
Pedestrian Detours
Dyer Street Northbound:
• Turn left onto Ship Street
• Turn right onto Richmond Street
• Turn right onto Clifford Street to return to Dyer Street
or
• Turn right onto Peck Street
• Follow sidewalk as the road turns left and under old I-195 bridge
• Follow sidewalk along the Providence River and return to Dyer Street
Dyer Street Southbound:
• Turn right onto Clifford Street
• Turn left onto Richmond Street
• Turn left onto Ship Street to return to Dyer Street
or
• Turn left onto Peck Street
• Follow sidewalk along the Providence River
• Turn right under old I-195 bridge
• Follow sidewalk to return to Dyer Street at Eddy Street
Maps and turn-by-turn directions also are available on RIDOT’s website at www.dot.ri.gov.
The demolition of old I-195 will open up about 35 acres of land that will be used to build new streets throughout Providence. This includes about 20 acres of new parcels that will be used for private development and new parks along the waterfront. It will also allow for the construction of a new bicycle/pedestrian bridge on the existing highway piers, which connects both sides of the Providence River at newly proposed parks.
Those 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