TIVERTON, R.I. (AP) - The Rhode Island Department of Transportation says plans to demolish the old Sakonnet River Bridge will begin this spring.
The plans had been announced after the new Sakonnet River Bridge opened in 2012 to motorists traveling between Tiverton and Portsmouth on Route 24. The plans were delayed because protected marine life was in the area.
WPRI-TV reports (https://bit.ly/2mMoiNX ) the bridge will come down in two phases. The first phase beginning this spring will involve taking down 17 spans between the bridge’s piers. The agency says there will be minimal impact to traffic in the area.
The second phase will involve removing the large “substructure elements” that emerge from the water to support the main superstructure of the bridge.
The first phase is expected to end in the summer of 2018.
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Information from: WPRI-TV, https://www.wpri.com
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