CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — The commute for motorists in Cranston is about to get a little more complicated, according to Rhode Island transportation officials.
The city’s Park Avenue railroad bridge, which carries vehicular traffic over the Amtrak Northeast Corridor tracks, is scheduled to close for about four months on May 15 for a nearly $12 million demolition and replacement project, the state Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The current bridge, which dates to 1906 and carries 15,000 vehicles per day, has been determined to be structurally deficient.
During the project, drivers will be detoured onto Elmwood Avenue and Wellington Avenue, adding an estimated six to 10 minutes to their travel time.
To accommodate pedestrians, RIPTA will run a free shuttle bus around the bridge at 30-minute interval from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
The plan is to complete the project as soon as possible and reopen the bridge before school resumes in the fall.
