Expedited replacement begins soon for Shippee Bridge in Burrillville, R.I.

Providence, R.I. — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced it will begin replacement of the structurally deficient Shippee Bridge in Burrillville, and will do so in the shortest amount of time possible by closing the bridge to all traffic and using accelerated bridge construction techniques to expedite the project.

The closure is scheduled for Monday, April 4 and will be in place for approximately 120 days, reopening in early August. The closure will reduce the construction time by about four months, thus lessening the impact to the motoring public and to the environment.

Through a $2.2 million contract, with a budget contingency of $52,600, RIDOT will replace the bridge with a new structure using accelerated construction techniques, including the use of precast box beams that will be assembled off site and put into place, and cast-in-place structural segments.

The bridge, which dates back to 1890, carries approximately 1,400 cars per day on Route 98 (Sherman Farm Road) over the Nipmuc River in Burrillville. The bridge has had a 10-ton weight limit in place since 2008, requiring trucks and school buses to follow a lengthy detour around the bridge. Once the bridge has been replaced, the detour, weight limit and structurally deficient status will be removed.