The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) today announced a $1.4 million repair project for a portion of the Blackstone River Bikeway in Lincoln and Cumberland. During this work, short sections of the bikeway may be closed, beginning on Thursday, October 31.
RIDOT will be repairing 6.3 miles of the bike path where tree roots have pushed up the pavement. The segment runs from 300 feet south of the Willow Way Bridge (near the Front Street bike path parking lot in Lincoln) to 500 feet north of Maple Street (near the Manville bike path parking lot off New River Road in Lincoln). Use of this part of the bikeway may be restricted from time to time to accommodate the repair work.
RIDOT's initial phase of work will start on a 1.5-mile section of the bikeway from the Manville bike path parking lot to the Albion bike parking lot on School Street in Lincoln. Closures are scheduled for weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The path will be open on weekends and holidays. RIDOT and RIDEM will coordinate with the contractor to minimize disruptions.
Once work on this area is complete, RIDOT will work on the next section heading south. Only the sections being worked on will be closed at any one time, not the entire 6.3-mile portion to be repaired under this project. Segments of the bikeway north and south of the 6.3-mile project area will remain open at all times.
The project includes removal and replacement of damaged sections and select tree cutting and root pruning to hinder further root intrusion and damage. Next spring, RIDOT will place an asphalt emulsion (a type of durable pavement sealer) along the entire 6.3-mile portion and restripe the path. RIDOT conducted similar repairs to the East Bay Bike Path in 2018.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.