Travel Advisory: Bridge Slide This Weekend is Second of Weekend Replacements

RHODE ISLAND, August 22 - The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) reminds travelers that two weekend closures of the ramp from Route 37 west to I-295 north for bridge construction will take place on the weekends of August 23 and September 6. The closures will start each weekend at 8:00 p.m. on Friday nights and end by 5:00 a.m. Monday mornings. Travelers should follow the detour signs. A map can be found at: www.ridot.net/DetourMaps.

When the ramp is closed, motorists will follow a short detour by reversing direction at Route 37's intersection with Natick Avenue and following Route 37 east to its on ramp with I-295 north. Cranston Street at the Route 37 overpass will be closed for the August 23 weekend. This weekend and next weekend's closures are part of the $85 million Cranston Canyon Project.

This weekend's operation will be the second of four bridge replacements in a row over weekends. Over the weekend of August 16, RIDOT demolished and replaced the Providence Street Bridge using a combination of full and partial closures. The Providence Street Bridge is 230 feet long and weighs 2.5 million pounds.

This weekend we will demolish and replace the bridge that carries the on ramp from Route 37 west to I-295 north. The Department will use Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) to slide the new ramp bridge into place.

During the weekend of September 6, the Department will complete construction on the bridge carrying Route 37 over the bike path. We have built the concrete arch bridge under the existing bridge. During the weekend of September 6, we will demolish the old bridge.

During the weekends of September 13 and 20 and again over two weekends in the fall, we will replace the Elmwood Avenue Bridge over Route I-95 both north and south. This will be done using Prefabricated Bridge Units or PBUs.

All of these projects are 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.