On Friday, December 11, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will remove a lane shift and restore Route 146 North to its original traffic pattern at the Route 104 (Farnum Pike) interchange in North Smithfield. The Department rebuilt the northbound Farnum Pike Bridge as part of an ongoing $13.9 million design-build project to replace these two structurally deficient bridges.
One lane on Route 146 North will be closed at 7 p.m. on Friday, with both lanes restored on the new northbound bridge by 5 a.m. Saturday, December 12. This change also allows RIDOT to reopen the off-ramp to Route 104, which was closed in early July.
Construction will resume in spring 2021 for the new southbound bridge. The design-build process allowed the Department to accelerate the project with design and initial construction activities happening at the same time. The project will be done in summer 2022.
The Farnum Pike Bridge was built in 1958 and carries approximately 40,000 vehicles per day. It has been rated structurally deficient for more than 20 years.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The replacement of the Farnum Pike Bridge was 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.