They will be repairing the temporary Division St. bridge over Route 4 south
The R.I. Department of Transportation is closing the Route 4 southbound exit off Route 95 Thursday, Friday and Sunday nights – Sept. 17, 18 and 20 – from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to allow for repair work on the southbound side of the temporary Division Street bridge just south of the Rt. 95- Rt. 4 split.
This follows DOT’s acknowledgement last week of a “deflection” in the arch spanning the Route 4 southbound lanes, or what appears to be a sag or dent in the arch (read more HERE).
“When Cardi Corporation was constructing the temporary bridge, it was backfilled in a way to create some deformation on the arch bridge supports,” said DOT director Peter Alviti during a call with reporters Thursday afternoon.
The plan now is for Cardi to remove the fill over the metal arch, allow the metal to go back to its original shape, and then refill it properly.
“We are detouring traffic while this is being done out of an abundance of caution,” Alviti said.
Traffic will be detoured to the next exit on Route 95, Exit 8A (Route 2, Quaker Lane). Vehicles will turn right off that exit, onto Route 2 south, then turn left onto Division Street, and return to Route 4 by using the Route 4 south onramp from Division.
According to the DOT, drivers could experience anywhere from a 5 to 15 minute delay, with the longer delays most likely earlier in the evening.
The cost of all repair work will be borne by Cardi Corp., Alviti said.
Value the news you get here on East Greenwich News? Consider supporting it by becoming a sustaining member or making a donation! We are a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to keeping East Greenwich a well-informed community but we need reader support! Click on the Donate button below or send a check to EG News, 18 Prospect St., East Greenwich, RI 02818. Thanks.
Subscribe
Regarding temporary bridge over rt 4 on Division Rd in East Greenwich: I’ve been watching this thing being constructed for months. BESIDES the fact that the gravel fill currently seems to be crushing the metal arch underneath, I have questions: it appears that tons of gravel are being held in place by nothing more than some wooden stakes (plus plastic fencing and something like landscape cloth). I can’t even determine how the stakes are attached to the metal arches. It seems that if a car is to hit any of those stakes (a distracted driver, snowy or icy conditions), they would easily snap off – causing tons of gravel to pour off the arch onto rt 4 below, and collapsing the temporary roadbed and any vehicles on it. How can this POSSIBLY be safe? I’m no engineer, but this looks like a terrible accident waiting to happen. I would love to see further investigation of this.
Susan, I will ask DOT about the wooden stakes.
Surely RIDOT has thought of this and will be placing temporary concrete barriers or some such buffer on the outer edge of the bridge. The bigger concern is that the fill density/distribution was clearly not given close enough attention in that area of the bridge. Was it correct in all other areas? Will we know unless another bridge segment begins to deform?