RIDOT To Detour Rte. 117 East In Warwick

WARWICK, R.I. -- Starting Monday, Rhode Island Department of Transportation crews will detour traffic on Route 117 East in Warwick to allow for faster construction on the Centerville Road Bridge. Through the detour, RIDOT officials say the project will be finished six months ahead of schedule.

According to RIDOT, the detour is required to provide a "safe work zone" for the $6.1 million reconstruction project. The bridge, close to the West Warwick line, brings Route 117 over Route 2.

On February 18 we'll be introducing a new traffic pattern on Rte 117 in Warwick, with a short section of the road near Rte 2 closed to eastbound traffic. Doing this will help us finish work on a bridge sooner, cutting six months off the schedule. See: https://t.co/dfTb63KMFe

1. Turn right onto Quaker Lane
2. Turn left onto Ginsu Way
3. Turn left onto Bald Hill Road/Route 2 North
4. Bear right at the next exit to return to Route 117

While the detour is in place, local traffic will be allowed past the Quaker Lane intersection to reach nearby businesses and homes.

Thanks to the detour, reconstruction is projected to be complete by the end of 2019, six months ahead of the initial timeline of Spring 2020.

The Centerville Road Bridge was constructed in 1951 and is considered by RIDOT to be "functionally obsolete." It carries an average of 28,000 vehicles per day. During construction, crews are fixing the bridge's superstructure, substructure, and deck, as well as replacing sidewalks and repaving the road. The construction is funded by RhodeWorks.

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