The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has started improvements on Route 44 (Putnam Pike) at its intersection with Route 100 in Glocester. The project includes installation of a roundabout and repairs to the Chepachet Bridge carrying Route 44 over the Chepachet River.
In addition to resurfacing and some minor drainage work, the bridge component of the $4 million project includes new pavement, curbing and sidewalks, and the addition of decorative street lighting, signing and striping. Construction will take place weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with minimal traffic impacts anticipated. Construction is scheduled for completion in May, 2018.
Not including the recent roundabouts installed as part of the Apponaug Circulator project in Warwick, RIDOT has installed seven roundabouts and retrofitted four traffic circles to function more like a roundabout. Roundabouts are different from old traffic rotaries, as they are smaller and have a sharper angle of entry, which reduces speeds and increases safety. All traffic entering the roundabout yields to traffic already in the circle.
In the future, RIDOT will be employing roundabouts in intersection reconstruction projects where possible to reduce both congestion and higher severity crashes. More information about roundabouts is available at: www.ridot.net/roundabouts.
The Route 44 improvements are 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.