The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today announced it will begin replacement of the structurally deficient Capron Road Bridge, a bridge that carries local traffic on Capron Road over a tributary of the Woonasquatucket River in Smithfield. The work requires a full closure of the bridge, which is expected to begin on Tuesday, February 21.
RIDOT will completely replace the 85-year-old bridge at a total project cost of $4.3 million. The current schedule has the Department reopening the bridge in late Fall 2017, with final completion expected in Spring 2018.
The bridge will be rebuilt using a new innovative bridge design element called Northeast Extreme Tee (NEXT) Beams, pre-cast concrete components that will limit the bridge closure to just one construction season. RIDOT also will add a sidewalk to the west side bridge, refurbish and reset historical makers, and repave the roadway leading up to the bridge.
The bridge, which serves approximately 1,500 vehicles per day, also has a weight limit for different vehicle types, ranging from 5 tons for two-axle vehicles to 20 tons for trucks with five or more axles. Once the bridge has been replaced, the truck detour, weight limit and structurally deficient status will be removed.
During the closure, traffic will be directed to follow a detour using Stillwater Road, Route 116 (George Washington Highway), Route 104 (Farnum Pike) and Capron Road. Turn-by-turn directions are as follows. A detour map is available on RIDOT's website at Capron Bridge Detour, Smithfield.
Capron Road Eastbound:
- Turn left onto Stillwater Road
- Turn left onto Route 116 (George Washington Highway)
- Turn left onto Route 104 (Farnum Pike)
- Turn left to return to Capron Road
- Turn right onto Route 104 (Farnum Pike)
Capron Road Westbound:
- Turn right onto Route 116 (George Washington Highway)
- Turn right onto Stillwater Road
- Turn right to return to Capron Road
To sign up for weekly updates on this or other RIDOT projects around the state, contact help@ridot.net. Visit www.dot.ri.gov or follow RIDOTnews on Facebook or Twitter for timely information on construction projects and traffic conditions.