Detours Coming To Thames Street In Newport To Replace Aging Water Main

NEWPORT, RI — Work at Thames Street and Washington Square to replace an aging water main will begin Monday, city official said Friday.

While overnight work is scheduled as part of the project, this phase will be performed during between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and will require detours.

City officials said businesses will remain open and accessible throughout the entirety of the project, but traffic will be diverted around the work zone.

For those traveling on Thames Street, traffic will be diverted to Marlborough Street with a turn onto Charles Street before entering Washington Square. At that point, traffic will be given the option to turn either onto Thames Street or continue up Touro Street.

The project, which is needed to replace a failed water main at Washington Square and Thames Street, is expected to take several weeks to complete, city officials said.

Crews are scheduled to excavate two test pits to determine the outside diameter of the existing water main and metal plates will be placed over the area while work is underway. In addition to the test pits, the contractor will be installing a temporary water line from Washington Square, stretching approximately 200 feet along the sidewalk leading down Thames Street.

More information about this, and other construction projects around town, can be found online on the Newport city website.

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