Elm, Poplar Streets In Newport To Close For Construction

NEWPORT, RI — Road closures are coming to two Newport streets so crews can complete repairs on the secondary rail line. Elm Street and Poplar Street will be closed on a rotating schedule form June 14 to the end of July.

At any given time, one of the two roads will be open to traffic. Construction will be completed on a rotating schedule.

During construction, crews will be making repairs to the Newport Secondary rail line between the Point neighborhood and America's Cup Boulevard. Work is expected to last for one week per rail crossing. Because the rail is located very close to the city's sewer line, work will only be on the eastern side of the tracks, where crews will replace the tack and ties.

Specific road closure information will be posted on RIDOT's website.

The project is part of a larger, $629,000 effort to improve railroads on Aquidneck Island. The other two crossings, Admiral Kalfbus Road in Newport and Stringham Road in Portsmouth, were repaired last year.