Effective Friday night, September 12 at 8 p.m., the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will shift all travel lanes to the right on Route 37 East and West, from Route 2 (New London Avenue) to Power Road, in Cranston. This will allow RIDOT to create a work zone in the middle of the highway to demolish the Howard Bridge carrying Route 37 over Power Road.
This is the first of four construction phases for this bridge and will be in place through November. RIDOT does not expect this change will create any delays but encourages drivers to slow down and reduce their speed through the work zone.
The traffic change was postponed from August 22 because of a construction schedule change.
This bridge is being demolished and will be eliminated. Also on September 12, Power Road under the bridge will close permanently. RIDOT determined that the bridge is surplus, as there are very few vehicles passing underneath it on Power Road and there are roads on either side of the bridge that afford access to Power Road properties.
This work is part of a larger $142.8 million project to make numerous improvements, replacing and rehabilitating six bridges carrying Route 37 over local roads, arterials, and rail lines. It is the third of three Route 37-focused projects, representing more than $300 million of improvements to address all bridges and safety concerns along the entire highway. Route 37 is a critical east-west freeway in central Rhode Island, linking the cities of Cranston and Warwick, major retail, office and residential areas, Interstate highways and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. With a daily traffic count of 42,000 vehicles, Route 37 is one of the state's busiest corridors.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.
The Route 37 project is made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.