Accelerated construction methods are being used to save time on the Cranston Canyon project.

The project will address deteriorated bridges along the western end of Route 37 and its intersection with I-295 and make safety improvements along the ‘canyon’ section of I-295 – the nickname given for the rocky outcropping on this section of the highway.

The Cranston Canyon is a design-build project, and was awarded to Aetna Bridge with Aecom as the lead design firm. Use of the design-build process, in concert with accelerated bridge construction methods, will shave a year off the construction schedule.

US senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) director Peter Alviti and other state and local leaders gathered to break ground for the scheme.

“RIDOT is able to move ahead with this project thanks in large part to the efforts of our congressional delegation which once more went to bat for us and helped secure a $21 million federal Build grant,” said Alviti. “With these extra funds, we have been able to put together a very comprehensive project to solve traffic problems, fix deteriorated bridges and make these highways safer; all in a single project.”

The Cranston Canyon project is due to be completed in 2026. It represents a second phase of work on the Route 37 corridor’s bridges, which began in 2020 with the US$79.5 million Route 37 Bridges project. That project is addressing 15 bridges and is scheduled to be finished in 2023.