Main Road Route 24 Ramp To Reopen In March

State Department of Transportation (DOT) officials said on Wednesday that the Route 24 southbound ramp could open in March.

Cardi Corporation continues work to complete the Sakonnet River Bridge project. Overnight work on the embankment near the bridge is related to reopening the southbound Route 24 ramp on Main Road, said Charles St. Martin, a DOT spokesman, on Wednesday.

"Main road will be reopening most likely in march," said St. Martin. "Some of the work that is happening for the next few weeks at night is related to that ramp."

The reopening timeline, however, is tentative as much of the construction is weather permitting.  

"One issue is that the ramp needs to be paved and the asphalt plants are closed statewide for wintertime," said St. Martin.

According to St. Martin, cold weather deters progress on the bridges and the reopening of the Main Road southbound Route 24 ramp will depend on desirable weather conditions. St. Martin said in winter asphalt plants close and deisel engines don't operate as efficiently.

"It will probably open in late march," said St. Martin. "It's an estimate at this point, we're hoping for early spring."

The entire Sakonnet River Bridge project is ongoing and demolition of the old structure is expected to continue through 2014.

Some of the old bridge was deconstructed in order to construct the new structure, but St. Martin said the total demolition would be contracted to a different company.

A contract will reportedly go out to bid at the end of the year for demolition in 2014.