Work Set to Begin on R.I. Bridge Replacement Project

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has announced that work is set to begin on the Pleasant Valley Parkway Bridge replacement project.

Officials said Monday work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2017 and will require the employment of approximately 50 different workers.

The bridge, which stretches over the Woonasquatucket River in Providence, is listed as one of 230 structurally deficient bridges in the state.

Organizers are hoping to ensure the safety of more than 40,000 cars that drive over the bridge every day.

The project has a contract of $5.6 million, with a 5 percent budget contingency of $280,000.

Officials say the project will require the bridge to close temporarily, but the schedule has not yet been finalized.