Coast Guard Announces Public Hearing On Closing Sakonnet River Waterway

The United States Coast Guard on Wednesday issued a late afternoon announcement that a public meeting has been scheduled to discuss the potential temporary closure of the Sakonnet River waterway. The notice comes after a closed door meeting Wednesday morning between the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and the contractor for building the new Sakonnet River Bridge, Cardi Corporation.

A public meeting on the issue will be held next Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. at , at 100 North Brayton Road. The Coast Guard is seeking comments on potential during the height of the new bridge's construction. It is being built closely alongside the existing Sakonnet Bridge, which spans Tiverton and Portsmouth.

, Cardi will be spending the next month setting steel girders onto the concrete columns in the middle of the boat channel. Cardi has requested the Coast Guard to place a limitation on boat traffic through the main channel beneath the bridge for a period of 30 days, beginning Monday, Aug. 29.

A temporary shipping channel has been proposed to allow vessels to travel safely during daylight hours. Specific restrictions, waterway alternatives and time alterations from using a new shipping channel will be discussed at the hearing.

RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin said over the phone on Wednesday that this latest bridge work is needed in order to stay on schedule, and keeping the shipping lane open while the work is going on poses a public safety issue.

Questions regarding this bulletin may be addressed to Mr. Edward G. LeBlanc at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, 401-435-2351.