Legislators mostly resigned to accept Silver Creek bridge closure

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 5/23/19

Bristol legislators have mixed reactions to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) plan to tear down and replace the Silver Creek bridge next summer, though most are resigned to making …

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Legislators mostly resigned to accept Silver Creek bridge closure

Posted

Bristol legislators have mixed reactions to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) plan to tear down and replace the Silver Creek bridge next summer, though most are resigned to making the best of a bad situation.

“It’s certainly a hotly emotional issue,” said Sen. Walter Felag (Senate 10) about the timeline for the project. “The DOT representatives spoke like their plans were set in stone,” he said of a Tuesday, May 21, meeting with Bristol’s business community. “But the business people provided other options.”

Sen. Felag thinks its important to focus on constructive ways to mitigate the impact of any closure, including incentives for a shorter timeline, making sure construction in other parts of town is minimized, and putting up signage letting people know that downtown Bristol is accessible and open for business via alternate routes.

Rep. Susan Donovan

A former educator, Rep. Susan Donovan (House 69) understands why the DOT took the school months off the table. “I don’t want to speak for the school department, but that road cannot be closed in September; it will cause havoc,” she said. “The buses go out in three waves, morning and afternoon, one after the other, they can’t be late, there are mandates for how long kids can be kept on the buses, and it all costs money.

“I don’t see how the school department could afford to operate on a delayed schedule for two months.”

Rep. June Speakman

It’s not just school schedules at issue here. “Infrastructure and weather and utilities all play a role,” said Rep. June Speakman (House 68). “There are legitimate concerns that delaying the project into the fall, coupled with a hurricane or other natural disaster in another part of the country that requires reallocation of crews, could impact the delivery of gas” right as the cold weather approaches.

One thing that Rep. Speakman felt clearly came from Tuesday’s meeting, was that until yesterday, information about the project was not reaching the residents and business owners of Bristol as effectively as it needs to be. She said she is glad that they are here now and the channels of communication are open, but isn’t sure the meeting changed the direction, timeline, or scope of the project.

“I’m not an engineer or a transportation expert,” Rep. Speakman said. “But DOT seems to have investigated all the options, and their ready answers haven’t changed. I do think they are listening and trying to minimize impacts.

“I would hope the R.I. Commerce Corporation would now come to Bristol and meet with business owners and hear what they have to say … there are still issues, like the traffic on Metacom, that need to be thought through.”

One issue that Rep. Speakman did not think was made clear to business owners yesterday was the safety issues inherent with doing construction and utility relocation at that site when school is in session. “While there are real concerns, it’s not good for the community when we pit schoolchildren’s safety against small businesses,” she said.

“Ultimately, residents need to feel that the plan that is settled on is the best compromise, and I did not get the sense from yesterday’s meeting that we are there yet. But the bridge needs to be replaced — it’s really urgent.”

Sen. James Seveney

Sen. James Seveney (Senate 11) shares the concerns of Bristol’s downtown business owners. “I can imagine what missing two-thirds of the high season could do to them,” he said. While he thinks DOT has done a diligent job looking into all the impacts, he’s not sure that he shares all of their priorities. “The first priority should be safety,” he said. “The bridge needs to be replaced. Next? Don’t put people out of business. Then, there should be a smart way to reorganize transportation so kids aren’t spending 90 minutes on the school bus, each way.”

Sen. Seveney feels that historical preservation should, in this case, be a lower priority factor. “I’m not making a value judgement on on the historical significance of the bridge,”he said. “But I think it is more important to get this done quickly. I’m not convinced historical preservation concerns should be driving this train.

“I would keep fighting for the businesses — it doesn’t take a lot to harm a small business.”

State historic commission

According to Paul Loether of the Rhode Island State Preservation & Historical Commission, the commission makes advisory comments on projects submitted to them for review. In other words, according to Mr. Loether, while DOT usually follows the commission’s advisory comments, they are not required to do so. So if historical preservation concerns are significantly impacting the construction timeline, Sen. Seveney thinks that it might be worth investigating what it would take to get a waiver to historical preservation guidelines, if that would help shorten the project timeline.

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