Westerly's Cottrell Bridge to close for three months while replacement is built

Correction: The bridge will close starting July 5. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect date.

WESTERLY — The Cottrell Bridge on Route 91, over McGowan Brook, will be closed for three months, starting July 5, as the state works to rapidly replace it with a brand-new bridge.

The bridge is "structurally deficient" and traffic weighing more than 8 tons, which includes nearly all truck traffic, has been diverted away from the bridge for some time, Department of Transportation Spokesman Charles St. Martin said.

According to the website WeightofStuff.com, 8 tons is equal to a single school bus, a single tractor or two hippopotamuses.

The new bridge will be made of fiber-reinforced polymer, which weighs less than steel, and will take half the time to construct than if it did not use accelerated bridge construction methods, St.Martin said.

RI Best: 22 can't miss food and drink adventures for summer 2022

While steel isn't being used, the bridge will look much the same, as the fiber-reinforced polymer girders take a similar shape, which looks like a bathtub in a cross section.

While the bridge closure and detour will affect some traffic headed to the beach, the permit for the new bridge only allows work on new footings in the McGowan Brook when its flow is the lowest, which is during the summer.

Suicide prevention: State budget includes $1 million for bridge suicide barrier design; House vote Thursday

Motorists should expect delays, caused by the detour.

The bridge carries 4,300 vehicles a day, which means it is not a high-volume road, Martin said.

"It's a short detour, and it may be an inconvenience, but we're doing it as quickly as possible, and the bridge was long overdue for a replacement," he said.

Summer construction season: RI to spend $1.6 billion on highway construction this summer. Here's what you should know.

While bridges can often be constructed parallel to an existing roadway, and then be slid over in a few days, the wetlands in the area eliminated that possibility.

While the bridge will reopen in the fall, the $5.5-million project won't be done until 2023.

The beach bus lives: McKee says RIPTA will run special routes this summer after all

Where the Route 91 detour goes

The detour suggested by the state is for drivers to use Route 78, Route 1 and Dunns Corner Road to get around the closed bridge.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Providence Journal subscription. Here's our latest offer.

Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

Rhode Island Beaches 2022: Your guide to the best beaches in the state

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Westerly bridge replacement will increase delays for beach traffic