The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced the next phase of work on the replacement of the structurally deficient Central Street Bridge, which carries local traffic on Route 5/Central Street over Route 146, close to the Massachusetts border in North Smithfield. This work will require temporary closures of Route 146 as steel for the new bridge is installed.
The closures are scheduled to begin on Friday, July 7 at 10 p.m. with one side of the highway closed at a time. However, when one side of the highway is closed, the high-speed lane on the other side also will be closed. Route 146A will be used as a detour during the closures.
This schedule is less restrictive than the original schedule which would have involved closing one direction in its entirety for two full weekends.
The specifics on the closures and reopenings of portions of Route 146 North and South are as follows:
- Friday, July 7 at 10 p.m. - Route 146 South closed between the Forestdale/Slatersville exit in North Smithfield and Exit 1 in Uxbridge, Mass. Also, the high-speed lane on Route 146 North will be closed.
- Saturday, July 8 at 12 p.m. - Route 146 South and the high speed lane of Route 146 North reopens.
- Saturday, July 8 at 3 p.m. - Route 146 North will be closed in this area. Also, the high-speed lane on Route 146 South will be closed.
- Sunday, July 9 at 10 a.m. - All lanes reopened
Motorists can expect delays during the closure periods, and the use of alternate routes is recommended. RIDOT chose to do this work on a weekend when traffic volumes are reduced to minimize impact to travelers.
The Central Street Bridge itself will remain closed until late fall. Final completion of the $7.7 million project is expected in spring 2018. All detour maps are available at www.ridot.net/detourmaps.
The bridge has been structurally deficient for 18 years and had 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 has coordinated with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and neighboring communities in Massachusetts regarding all closures.
Route 146 Detours
The following detours will be in place when Route 146 closures are needed, July 7-9:
Northbound:
- All traffic must take the Forestdale/Slatersville exit
- Bear right onto School Street
- Turn left onto Rte. 146A North
- Turn right to stay on Rte. 146A at Rtes. 5 and 102
- Turn left for on-ramp to return to Rte. 146 North
Southbound:
- All traffic must take Exit 1 in Massachusetts for Rte. 146A
- Bear left for Rte. 146A South
- Turn right to stay on Rte. 146A at Rtes. 5 and 102
- Take ramp on right to return to Rte. 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 Rte. 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 Rte. 146A North
- Return to Central Street
Truck Detour Northbound:
- Turn right onto Rte. 146A North
- Turn right onto Rte. 122 South
- Return to Central Street
Truck Detour Southbound:
- Follow Central Street northbound
- Turn left onto Rte. 122 North
- Turn left onto Rte. 146A
- Return to Central Street
The replacement of the Central Street Bridge is made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT's ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island's transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and create jobs. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
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.