LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 16: A pedestrian passes a detour sign as drivers heed the advice of widely-publicized warnings to stay off the roadways while workers demolish the south side of Mulholland overpass on the 405 freeway during the 53-hour total freeway closure dubbed “Carmageddon” for the resulting massive traffic disruptions expected throughout the region, on July 16, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. The bridge is being demolished part of a $1 billion project to add carpool lanes and make other improvements along the 405 freeway from Orange County to the city of San Fernando. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
The commute for motorists in Cranston is about to get a little more complicated, according to Rhode Island transportation officials.
The city’s Park Avenue railroad bridge, which carries vehicular traffic over the Amtrak Northeast Corridor tracks, is scheduled to close for about four months on May 15 for a nearly $12 million demolition and replacement project, the state Department of Transportation said in a statement.
The current bridge, which dates to 1906 and carries 15,000 vehicles per day, has been determined to be structurally deficient.
During the project, drivers will be detoured onto Elmwood Avenue and Wellington Avenue, adding an estimated six to 10 minutes to their travel time.
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To accommodate pedestrians, RIPTA will run a free shuttle bus around the bridge at 30-minute interval from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
The plan is to complete the project as soon as possible and reopen the bridge before school resumes in the fall.
