It doesn’t have the dramatic profile of the Mt. Hope Bridge. Many people may not even notice that they are driving over a bridge when they head north on Hope Street out of downtown, past the Guiteras School and Sip ’n Dip. But that passage over where Silver Creek spills into Bristol Harbor is, in fact, a bridge.

What’s more, it’s one that has been deemed “structurally deficient” by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT).

The design is still in the works, but the plan is to begin utility relocation work in the weeks following the Fourth of July holiday this year, with actual bridge demolition and reconstruction to begin following the 2020 celebration. Construction is expected to take about a year and a half, with completion by the spring of 2022.

The state will put the plans out for bid on the estimated $3.7 million project in the spring.
What kind of traffic disruptions can be expected at that location, already a bottleneck at times, and arguably one of the most trafficked in town?

That depends. According to DOT spokesman Charles St. Martin, the design of the project as a whole goes well beyond the the structure itself. Engineers are including variables like traffic, closures, and detours into the overall plan. For this summer, drivers can expect temporary lane closures, with traffic reduced to one alternating lane of travel at times.

They do plan to construct a temporary bike path past the site, which will allow pedestrian and bike traffic to continue unimpeded.

“The structure will define the impact,” he said. “Engineering, construction methods, sequencing and detours will all be part of the design, which is not yet complete.”
One thing DOT has been making an effort to do, with this and all projects moving forward, is to reach

out to local communities in the advance of such disruptive projects.

“We have and will continue to communicate with the community to get input and raise awareness,” said Mr. St. Martin.