WPRO Newsroom
Just as the General Assembly is wrestling with the so-called RhodeWorks infrastructure repair bill, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation is closing the Park Avenue Bridge over railroad tracks in Cranston. The closure is effective immediately.
RIDOT says an inspection Monday found “significant deterioration in the bridge’s timber deck.”
RIDOT’s says they are closing the bridge for safety purposes. The bridge is just blocks away from House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s Park Avenue law office.
Federal Highway Administration Rhode Island Division Administrator Carlos Machado said “the bridge is a safety risk to the motoring public and must be closed.”
Drivers traveling on Park Avenue will be directed to detour routes with signs. Police officers also will assist directing traffic at busy intersections. Detour routes include:
– Park Avenue Eastbound: Use Reservoir Avenue north and take the on-ramp to Route 10 South. Take the exit onto Park Avenue.
– Park Avenue Westbound: Use the on-ramp to Route 10 North, then take the exit to Reservoir Avenue south and follow to Park Avenue.
– Local Traffic Detour: Local traffic on Park Avenue should use Elmwood Avenue and Wellington Avenue to detour around the bridge closure. The road will remain open to local traffic on either side of the bridge.
Most bridges in the state are inspected every two years but RIDOT has been inspecting this bridge every year to keep a close eye on the deterioration.
