The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) recently announced that construction on a heavily-traveled bridge is progressing faster than expected and may be open to traffic this spring.
The state is working on a new Pawtucket River Bridge, and it appears that the work could be done ahead of schedule. Construction crews are currently building the first deck span of the bridge. While a bit more expensive, the crews are shipping in pre-cast paneling for the bridge rather than making the panels on the bridge itself.
"Compared to conventional construction, we probably saved two to three months by using these precast panels," Frank Carrao of the state's DOT told WPRI. "We ultimately will be putting on asphalt, curbing some railings to keep the traffic on the new bridge."
The old bridge quickly became a major problem as time went on, and state officials had to close it to heavy vehicles. That meant truckers being forced off of the highway in order to take detours through residential areas.
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