Work continues on historic N.S. bridge
Mild weather helping in progress; detours remain
NORTH SMITHFIELD — A look at the detour maps is all anyone needs to understand just how much of an impact the closing of the historic Slatersville Stone Arch Bridge on Railroad Street has had on travel through the Slatersville and Forestdale area. The only good thing about the total shutdown of the bridge on Jan. 2 may be that the work needed to be completed before it reopens is continuing even in the dead of winter. Town Administrator Gary Ezovski said recently that a recent update provided by DOT officials indicated that the dismantling stage of reconstruction of the circa 1855 bridge next door to the renovated Slatersville Mill complex is moving forward even in cold weather conditions. The DOT had planned to close the 150-foot-long bridge earlier than January, but Ezovski said he asked for the shutdown to be delayed until after the holidays, given the impact of the closing on small businesses and the churches in the Slatersville area. The DOT agreed, he noted, and the complete shutdown of the bridge started on Jan. 2. Since that time, the DOT has conducted removal of the bridge roadbed, sidewalks, and even the stonework on the sides of the bridge. The DOT plans to excavate the stone arches, creating two viaducts for the flow of the Clear River under the bridge, and then refill them with concrete to strengthen the span. The arches will be fronted by
restored stone-work on the exterior walls and a pre-cast roadbed installed on top. Located in the Slatersville Historic District, the bridge is the oldest documented masonry bridge in use in Rhode Island, according to the DOT.
The $13.5 million state RhodeWorks project will remove the prior restrictions on use of the bridge due to its documented deteriorated condition. In 2007, the state set a 20-ton weight limit for vehicles using the bridge and also restricted travel to just one lane on the bridge after installing traffic control signals at the location. The bridge rehabilitation project also included a shutdown last May for work on the bridge and its approaches lasting about three months.
Ezovski said he was told the project is currently on schedule for completion in December and noted that the ability to continue to work at the site now has apparently been a benefit to the project schedule.
“They were out there working today,” Ezovski said on a day the temperature had varied from 25 to 30 degrees.
Although inconvenient, Ezovski said the closure was permitting the DOT to conduct a modified project aimed at lessening the time the bridge would remain closed.
That could become increasingly important as the DOT also begins work on three other bridges in the community in the coming months, the Woonsocket Hill Road bridge over Route 146, the Route 146 Bridge carrying the highway over Pound Hill Road and the Lapre Road Bridge that carries Great Road over the Providence & Worcester Railroad tracks running to the former CD Burns property.
The Woonsocket Hill Road project will involve a complete removal the bridge deck much like the project that replaced the Central Street Bridge over Route 146 last year. The project is expected to continue into the fall of 2019, but the actual closing of the bridge to traffic should run only into December of this year, he said. The Pound Hill Road project may be completed by using a process of traffic lane shifts and Ezovski said he hopes a similar process can be used when work on the Lapre Road repair project begins.
Ezovski said he has already heard from local residents affected by the Slatersville Stone Arch Bridge project and expects there will be more impacts on residents as the other projects continue in the months ahead. Unfortunately, he noted there are few alternatives to the schedule traffic detours. “We have got to get through this because it is work that needs to be done,” he said. All of the planned work is funded through the DOT’s bridge improvement budget with federal assistance. The detour plan for the Slatersville Stone Arch Bridge released by the DOT is listed below: Northbound Car Detour: Turn right onto Industrial Drive (Approx. ¼ mile before the bridge); Industrial Drive turns into Pound Hill Road; Pass under Route 146 overpass, turn left for Route 146 North on-ramp; Take the Forestdale/Slatersville exit; At end of ramp, turn left onto School Street; Bear left onto Greene Street; Return to Route 5 Northbound Truck Detour: Turn right onto Industrial Drive (Approx. ¼ mile before the bridge); Industrial Drive turns into Pound Hill Road; Pass under Route 146 overpass, turn left for Route 146 North on-ramp; Take the Forestdale/Slatersville exit; At end of ramp, turn right onto School Street; Turn left onto Route 146A; Follow 1.5 miles to return to Route 5 Southbound Car Detour: Turn left onto Greene Street; Bear right onto School Street; Turn left onto Route 146A; Turn left for on-ramp to Route 146 South; Take the Pound Hill Road exit; Turn right at end of the ramp onto Pound Hill Road; Pound Hill Road becomes Industrial Drive; Return to Route 5 Southbound Truck Detour: Turn left onto Route 146A; Drive South (Approx. ½ mile before the bridge); Use on-ramp for Route 146 South; Take the Pound Hill Road exit; Turn right at end of the ramp onto Pound Hill Road; Pound Hill Road becomes Industrial Drive; Return to Route 5