The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has announced that as part of the continuing demolition of the Great Road Bridge in North Smithfield, Route 146 Northbound and Southbound will close for five nights at the Forestdale exit from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The closure dates are Sunday through Thursday, September 13 – 18, 2009, weather permitting.
A short detour will be posted around the closed portion of the highway. Motorists traveling on Route 146 Northbound can exit at School Street and then get back on the highway after the Great Road Bridge, while those traveling on Route 146 Southbound can exit at Great Road and then get back on the highway after the Great Road Bridge.
The Great Road Bridge carries Route 146A (Great Road) over Route 146 in North Smithfield. Originally built in 1959, the bridge is being demolished as part of a bridge replacement project. Construction began in 2007 and the project is slated for completion next year.