RIDOT announces temporary traffic pattern changes in North Smithfield beginning Friday

NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced temporary traffic pattern changes on the Spring Brook Bridge, which carries Route 146 North over Route 146A in North Smithfield, effective tomorrow at 9 p.m.

The changes will allow the department to make repairs to the bridge that carries the highway over Route 146A southbound traffic. The work is part of a multi-bridge, $7.1 million preservation and rehabilitation project.

RIDOT will temporarily close lanes overnight to install the traffic changes. Once the new traffic pattern is established, lanes will be be shifted. The changes will only affect Route 146 North.

RIDOT will alter the traffic pattern approximately every two weeks as work continues on the bridge deck, finishing by November. Overnight lane restrictions may be needed when new traffic patterns are put into place.

The schedule for traffic pattern changes on Route 146 North includes:

Phase I: A lane split will be in place with one lane on either side of the split. Stay in your lane; all lanes go through. Phase II: All lanes shift to the right. Phase III: All lanes shift to the left.

Work on this bridge is part of a seven-bridge preservation and rehabilitation project with six structures in North Smithfield and one in Providence. The entire project is projected to conclude early next year. All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings,and weather.

The Bridge Group 13A – Route 146 Bridges Contract 1 project was made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring the state’s road infrastructure into a state of good repair.