Beginning, Friday night, June 20, at 10 p.m., the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is scheduled to begin a temporary extended weekend closure of Newell Bridge in Cumberland for its demolition and reconstruction. The bridge carries Diamond Hill Road (Route 114) over the East Sneech Brook near the Bentley Field Complex, just north of the intersection with Nate Whipple Highway (Route 120).
The closure will go through the weekend with all lanes opening on the new bridge structure by 5 a.m. Monday morning, June 23. RIDOT is using accelerated bridge construction methods to demolish and replace 80 percent of the old bridge. This includes using the prefabricated bridge units to quickly reconstruct it.
RIDOT suggests drivers consider alternate routes depending on their origin and destination, and provide additional time for travel. The Department will establish a signed a detour route with trailblazing signs to guide motorists, using Nate Whipple Highway, Mendon Road (Route 122), West Wrentham Road and Pine Swamp Road. A detour map is available at www.ridot.net/DetourMaps.
RIDOT over the summer will be relocating above and underground utilities before completing work on the bridge. A second extended weekend closure is expected in late fall to demolish and replace the remaining 20 percent of the bridge and do final paving.
As part of this same project, RIDOT plans to resurface Sneech Pond Road, from Nate Whipple Highway to Little Pond Road, and from Anna Mac Drive to Nate Whipple Highway. This will involve overnight lane closures on Sneech Pond Road, and likely occur in late summer. Detailed lane closure information will be posted as it is scheduled at www.ridot.net/TravelAdvisories.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.