Take Your Pick: Detour or Waiting in Traffic as Bridge Replaced?

Would you prefer to take a 2.5- to 3.5-mile detour for three to five months or sit in stop-and-go traffic for up to a year?

Three representatives from the RI Department of Transportation offered those two alternatives for the Newman Avenue bridge (Route 152) replacement in a presentation to the East Providence City Council Tuesday night.

They also offered their least-desirable alternative – continuing one lane of traffic in each direction for more than two years of construction time. 

RIDOT’s preferred alternative is complete closure of the Newman Avenue bridge at the Turner Reservoir into Seekonk for up to five months. It would minimize construction costs and allow the contractor to use accelerated bridge construction methods – pre-cast pieces built elsewhere and then moved into place like building blocks.

“The contractor can get in and out and replace the bridge at far less cost,” said Keith Gaulin of the bridge engineering department.

RIDOT’s second-best alternative involves two-stage construction with one-way alternating traffic controlled by temporary signals. Workers would build one side of the small bridge at a time while traffic alternated on the other side. 

That alternative would cost 25 to 30 percent more than alternative 1, said Gaulin.

And it would stretch out construction for up to a year with significant traffic queues during peak hours, said Sean Raymond from traffic engineering.

But it would keep the bridge and one sidewalk open, and RIDOT could use partial accelerated bridge construction techniques. 

The least-preferred alternative would involve three-stage construction with two lanes of traffic open as it is right now and workers building one of the three stages.

This alternative is least-preferred because it would stretch out construction for more than two years and add another 25 to 30 percent to the replacement cost, said Gaulin. And the actual work areas would be smaller for the crews. 

The advantage, of course, he said, is that two lanes of traffic and one sidewalk would remain open during construction. No detour is needed. 

RIDOT has not made a decision on which alternative to pick, Gaulin said. It is looking for feedback from the community and the City Council. 

“All of the impacts are being evaluated,” he said, including the possible impact on Seekonk High School, which sits on Arcade Avenue, the street used for the detour.

The bridge is rated in “poor” condition with heavy cracking, chipping and splintering of the concrete above the water. So, how safe is it?

“It’s not unsafe,” said Gaulin. “Let’s just say it’s on its last legs.”

What is your choice for replacing the Newman Avenue bridge? Use the comment box below.