Route 24 Bridge In Tiverton Faces Restrictions, Temporary Closure
Monday, July 06, 2015
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has temporarily closed the right lane on a segment of Route 24 North in Tiverton.
An expansion joint on the bridge that goes over Tiverton's Fish Road caused the restriction, and will require a temporary shutdown to go into effect soon.
Repairs will begin at 8 AM on July 7 and are expected to be completed by 5 PM on the same day. During the repairs, motorists will be diverted off the highway at Route 24’s Fish Road exit and then immediately back onto the highway after the bridge.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRoute 24 South will not be affected by the construction.
Rhode Island’s Deficient Bridges
A GoLocal report back in May discovered that 429 of the state’s 766 bridges are considered to be deficient. The report also found that 174 of the state’s bridges are considered to be structurally deficient, meaning that they contain a serious defect.
It was also discovered that 255 of the state’s bridges are considered to be functionally obsolete, meaning that the bridge is used beyond what it was originally designed for.
Another Closed Bridge
Amidst conflict at the Rhode Island State House about how to generate revenue for infrastructure deficiencies, Cranston’s Park Avenue bridge was closed in late June.
Under Governor Gina Raimondo’s direction, the RIDOT closed the bridge, drawing questions from Speaker Nicholas Mattiello as to an ulterior motive.
Related Slideshow: RI’s Most Dangerous Bridges
The American Road and Transportation Builders Association recently released a list of the most traveled, deficient bridges in each state. In Rhode Island, those bridges were:
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