Project Overview
Japonica Street Construction (Pawtucket)
Beginning in mid-July 2025, Narragansett Bay Commission and its contractors will be working in the roadway along Japonica Street in Pawtucket (between Roosevelt Avenue and Middle Street). This work will include sectional closures of the roadway for extended periods of time. We expect to maintain access to all properties in this area throughout the project, but thru-traffic will be prohibited. The work is expected to be complete by early September.
The map below indicates the work area (diagonal slash lines), as well as the detour for this area (red dotted line).
Map is for illustrative purposes only. Details may vary slightly.
Taft Street + Roosevelt Avenue Construction (Pawtucket)
Beginning in March 2025, Narragansett Bay Commission and its contractors will be working in the roadway along Roosevelt Avenue and Taft Street. This work will include sectional closures of the roadway for extended periods of time (see map below for closure and detour information). We expect to maintain access to all properties throughout the project, but traffic may be a little heavier during active construction times.
The planned working hours for this project are Monday-Friday, 7:00am to 5:00pm. If work outside of these hours is required, we will make an effort to notify nearby property owners in advance. In addition to the traffic impacts, construction-related noise may be heard and light vibrations felt due to the equipment being used for excavation. There will be no blasting involved with this work.
The work is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete, followed by roadway restoration (repaving) sometime thereafter. For additional information about the project please contact our project team at (401) 305-2350 or info@restoredwatersri.com.
Map is for illustrative purposes only. Details may vary slightly.
Tunneling Activity
Tunneling operations are now complete with the tunnel boring machine (TBM) being disassembled and removed from the tunnel in Pawtucket. The next phases of the project include the construction of various surface access points (drop shafts) and connections to the tunnel (adits). This work is already underway in some locations and is will be completed over the next couple of years.
Important Information about Controlled Blasting Activities
Controlled Blasting Activities may be required in some locations at certain points of the project. Any blasting that occurs will be below surface and CB3A anticipates minor disruption to the adjacent neighbors, similar to the sound of a large truck passing by or a rumble of thunder.
A series of HORN signals will be used to warn personnel at the site and nearby residents prior to each blast. Each blast will be preceded by a security check of the affected area and then a series of warning pulses.
To sign up for blasting notifications (sent approximately 24 hours prior to planned blasting activity), please send an email to notifications@cb3a.com requesting to be added to the list.
For more information about the Controlled Blasting Activities, please click here.
In an effort to continue its compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, and with the intention of returning some of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable waterways back to their natural conditions, the Narragansett Bay Commission recently launched Phase III of its RestoredWaters RI project. The first two phases, completed in 2008 and 2014, respectively, have significantly improved the health of upper Narragansett Bay along with a number of its tributaries. When the centerpiece of Phase III – the Pawtucket Tunnel – is complete, storm-related sewage discharges from the area will have decreased by 93 percent.
With an anticipated completion date of 2028, the Tunnel will travel through Pawtucket, Central Falls and East Providence at a depth of approximately 125 feet below the ground. At 2.2 miles long and 30 feet in diameter, it will have a storage capacity of more than 58 million gallons of stormwater. In addition to the Tunnel, Phase III includes the installation of four drop shafts, a launch shaft and a receiving shaft.
For more information about the project, check out the RestoredWaters RI Frequently Asked Questions.