On Friday, July 22, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is scheduled to close the Hunts Mill Bridge, which carries Pleasant Street (Route 114A) over the Ten Mile River in East Providence. RIDOT will completely replace the bridge and reopen it to traffic by the end of the year.
RIDOT will sign a detour using Pawtucket Avenue, Taunton Avenue and Fall River Avenue in Seekonk, Mass. Motorists should plan extra time for travel.
The bridge carries approximately 11,420 vehicles per day and is an important route connecting homes on either side of the river and businesses along the Route 44 corridor and the Rumford section of East Providence.
The Hunts Mill Bridge was built in 1926 and has been classified as structurally deficient since 2011. Given its historic status and that of the surrounding area – it is one of the most historically important areas in East Providence – RIDOT will replicate the bridge's historic features while replacing it with a modern structure. RIDOT has taken this approach with many other bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects to preserve the ornate or historically significant features while still maintaining current safety standards.
While RIDOT anticipates opening the new bridge to traffic by the end of the year, final completion of the project is expected in summer 2023.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The replacement of the Hunts Mill Bridge is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.