Parts Of Barrington Will Be Underwater By 2035: Report

BARRINGTON, RI — In just over a dozen years, climate change will force Barrington to have to deal with several roads flooding every month, according to experts with the University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute.

According to WPRI 12, which first reported this story, the damage will come to fruition by 2035. By 2050, the town's hurricane evacuation route, a three-mile stretch of Route 114, will be submerged by water twice a day, Teresa Crean, a university scientist told the television station. The central artery of Route 114 carries 25,000 vehicles every day, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Crean said Barrington is one of the leaders in climate mitigation across the state. Since 2019, the town received $201,000 in state grants for road elevation and other projects intended to slow the impacts of rising sea levels.

"But at what point do we have to say, this is no longer feasible, and this roadway will be underwater twice a day?"Crean told WPRI 12. "We need to really rethink, and it could end up costing big dollars."

For more on this story, read WPRI 12.