To the editor:

As an avid bike path user, and one somewhat familiar with architectural structures, I’m curious as to the need, not only to close down the bike path bridges, but also to avoid any kind of retrofitting to reinforce the existing structures, originally built for the railroad...the railroad!  

I personally find it very difficult to believe that such structures are prone to collapse with either humans or bicycles passing over them...use that is hundreds of tons lighter than railcars of past years. Have some of the bridge boards come loose?...sure, and I for one have taken it upon myself tighten those loose boards down with stainless steel screws in recent years. But detours and 10-plus million dollars...really?

And the plan to circumvent the bridges blocking our main roads and causing massive traffic and pedestrian mayhem is just ridiculous, unsafe, and in the end a great deal more costly. This has got to be one of the RIDOT’s worst plans in years, and I for one suspect some sort of payoff motives behind it, which someone is benefitting from—certainly not us town folks.  

Regardless, I believe the DOT’s proposed plan will critically alter Barrington and Warren’s traffic flow needs for the future as both towns continue to grow—already traffic gets severely bottlenecked with the previously widened 10-plus-year project newer County Road traffic bridges.  

May the RIDOT carefully re-consider such a proposal, along with the real need to replace the bridges—there are so many replacement and reinforcement alternatives these days, and we are not talking about supporting the weight of cars and trucks, but mere humans and bicycles! May the DOT listen to our towns, what they recommend—they know the needs best.

Respectfully submitted,

Ken Totushek

Barrington