PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Transportation said last week that it will be using accelerated-bridge-construction techniques and prefabricated elements for the replacement of the Frenchtown Brook Bridge No. 435 in East Greenwich.

According to a news release, the use of all precast concrete components will allow the department to complete the bridge work in approximately two months – about one-third of the time it would have taken if DOT used cast-in-place construction methods.

To complete the bridge construction work as quickly as possible and to lessen the impact of the project, the department said it must close this bridge to all traffic. The span carries Davisville Road over the Frenchtown Brook close to the East Greenwich/North Kingstown town line. The closure was scheduled to begin July 30. DOT expects the bridge to reopen in September.

The 57-year-old Frenchtown Brook Bridge is being replaced through a $1.9 million contract with Aetna Bridge Co. According to the release, the project is one of the Federal Highway Administration’s Highways for LIFE demonstration projects, geared to advance longer-lasting highway infrastructure using innovations to accomplish the fast construction of efficient and safe highways and bridges.

One of the first of its kind in Rhode Island, the project received $620,000 in federal funding through this program. It will be showcased in an upcoming event to share the technology and the work in progress with other state agencies and municipalities. •