Northbound traffic to be detoured until mid-June
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will temporarily close the northbound travel lane on Hope Street (Route 114) at the Silver Creek Bridge in Bristol on Monday, March 2 to begin the demolition and replacement of a portion of this structurally deficient bridge.
The closure will be in place until mid-June. RIDOT will post suggested detours utilizing Metacom Avenue (Route 136) to Chestnut Street for through traffic with local traffic on Hope Street using Franklin Street, High Street, and Bayview Avenue to connect with the Metacom Avenue detour route. Southbound traffic will not be affected. A detour map is available at www.ridot.net/SilverCreek.
After this phase of bridge construction, RIDOT will restore two-way traffic on the bridge to avoid any impact to the Bristol Fourth of July Parade. A second closure period begins on July 6. This also will require a detour for northbound traffic while RIDOT rebuilds the second half of the bridge. The bridge will be reopened to two-way traffic upon reaching substantial completion, expected by August 28. RIDOT is offering incentives to the contractor for an earlier completion of the bridge work.
This schedule was developed by RIDOT working with its contractor to develop an alternative method of construction to minimize the impact on the residents, businesses and commuters in the Bristol area. Bristol residents and business owners had expressed concerns that a full closure might affect businesses. This new solution keeps at least one lane of the bridge open to traffic throughout the construction process thereby avoiding the need to close the entire bridge to traffic for eight weeks, as originally planned.
The Silver Creek Bridge was built in 1922 and is currently posted at 17 tons. While small (just 16 feet long), it is part of a critical access road into the heart of downtown Bristol. Without it, tourists cannot access the town and local businesses and schools would be subject to constant congestion. Due to its structural deficiency, it must be replaced.
Final construction activities are scheduled to be completed in Fall 2020.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The replacement of the Silver Creek 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.