BURRILLVILLE – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has announced that the concrete bridge in Nasonville will be closed for three months for rehabilitation starting on Friday, Sept. 8.
The bridge, which carries Route 7/Douglas Turnpike over an old mill waterway, has been deemed structurally deficient and is part of an $18.8 million, three-bridge repair project in Burrillville, according to RIDOT. The other bridges to be rehabilitated include the Glendale and Joslin Road bridges, with the entire project to be completed in summer of 2026.
During the Nasonville closure, drivers will need to follow a detour using Route 102/Broncos Highway, Glendale Bypass, and Victory Highway. To aid detouring motorists, RIDOT will utilize the temporary traffic signal from an earlier bridge project at the intersection of Route 7 and Victory Highway to keep traffic moving through the village. A map of the detour can be found here.
It will be the latest adjustment for commuters in the region who’ve become somewhat accustomed to road closures and detours in recent years. The much larger project to repair the nearby Mohegan Bridge wrapped up in April following more than a year of construction that led drivers from Route 102 into Nasonville.
Now, RIDOT will target a structure dubbed the Nasonville Concrete Arch Bridge, one of two back to back bridges that carry traffic over waterways by the Western Hotel, located just south of the intersection with Lorry Lane. The smaller concrete structure comes right after the historic Stone Arch Bridge crossing the Branch River when approaching from the south heading toward Route 102.
RIDOT will make concrete repairs, also reconstructing a short section of Route 7 on either side of the bridge and installing a new safety railing. The rehabilitation of the Nasonville Concrete Arch Bridge is reportedly made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The state transportation department noted that all construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.