The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is reminding motorists of the upcoming temporary closure of a portion of Route 146 for the demolition of the Central Street Bridge, starting tomorrow, Friday, March 24 at 10 p.m. Motorists can expect delays during the closure periods, and the use of alternate routes is recommended.
On Monday, RIDOT closed this structurally deficient bridge, which carries local traffic on Route 5/Central Street over Route 146, close to the Massachusetts border in North Smithfield. The highway below the bridge is being temporarily closed to allow for safe demolition of the old bridge.
At times, the closure will affect both directions of Route 146, with traffic detouring on Route 146A. Route 146 will be partially reopened on Saturday morning at approximately 8 a.m. Route 146 North will remain closed longer, with traffic following the detour route until approximately midnight on Saturday. The specifics on the closures and reopenings are as follows:
- March 24 at 10 p.m.: Route 146 North and South closed between the Forestdale/Slatersville exit in North Smithfield and Exit 1 in Uxbridge, Mass.
- March 25 at 8 a.m.: The right lane reopens on Route 146 South
- March 25 at 4 p.m.: All lanes open on Route 146 South
- March 25 at midnight: All lanes open on Route 146 North
RIDOT chose a weekend for the closures to minimize the impact to travelers. This schedule is less restrictive than originally projected, which would have involved closing one direction in its entirety for two full weekends. This would have resulted in highway closures lasting 96 hours. The current plan allows RIDOT to reduce the impact to only 26 hours.
The Central Street Bridge itself will remain closed until late fall. Final completion of the $7.7 million project is expected in spring 2018. The bridge has been structurally deficient for 18 years, and currently has a 24-ton weight limit. As the bridge will be completely replaced, the new structure will be safe for use by all legal load trucks.
All detour routes cross over the state line into Massachusetts. RIDOT is coordinating with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and neighboring communities in Massachusetts regarding all closures.
Route 146 Detours
The following detours will be in place for demolition of the bridge, March 24-25:
Northbound:
All traffic must take the Forestdale/Slatersville exit
Bear right onto School Street
Turn left onto Route 146A North
Turn right to stay on Rte. 146A at the intersection of Rtes. 5 and 102
Turn left for on-ramp to return to Route 146 North
Southbound:
All traffic must take Exit 1 in Massachusetts for Route 146A
Bear left for Route 146A South
Turn left to stay on Rte. 146A at the intersection of Rtes. 5 and 102
Take ramp on right to return to Route 146 South
Central Street Detours
During the bridge closure, two detours will be in place, one for trucks and one for cars. Below are turn-by-turn directions for both:
Car Detour Northbound:
Turn right onto Route 146A North
Turn right onto Coppola Street
Turn right onto Providence Street
Return to Central Street
Car Detour Southbound:
Turn right onto Old Great Road
Turn right onto Route 146A North
Return to Central Street
Truck Detour Northbound:
Turn right onto Route 146A North
Turn right onto Route 122 South
Return to Central Street
Truck Detour Southbound:
Follow Central Street northbound
Turn left onto Route 122 North
Turn left onto Route 146A
Return to Central Street
All dates are weather-dependent and subject to change. To sign up for weekly updates on this or other RIDOT projects around the state, contact help@ridot.net. Visit www.dot.ri.gov or follow RIDOTnews on Facebook or Twitter for timely information on construction projects and traffic conditions.
Contact: Charles St. Martin (401) 222-1362, Ext. 4007
