Hazard Road will be closed to traffic during the winter months to protect it from harmful winter road treatments. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
NEWPORT, R.I. – Citing concerns over the potential impact that salt and other common winter road chemicals could have on the environment, city councilors voted on Wednesday to shut down Hazard Road to vehicular traffic during the winter months.
The request, which was granted unanimously by the council, asks for permission to close Hazard Road from Dec. 1 – April 1. It was originally proposed by the Department of Public Services for purposes of public safety and environmental protection.
As it happens, in recent years, Hazard Road has been no stranger to closures. For years, it sat virtually under water as the marsh it was built upon slowly died and sank.
Now, thanks to an extensive restoration project led by the city and Save The Bay, the marsh is on the road to recovery. In September, environmental advocates from Save The Bay were joined by city, state, and federal officials to celebrate the completion of the $1.2 million multi-agency project, heralding it as a model of environmental stewardship.
The project was decades in the making, and included the installation of a culvert which has freed up the flow of water from the upper reaches of the marsh, giving new life to what had been a slowly dying eco-system.
Now the city is looking to protect its investment and the environment it has begun to restore. “In the interest of environmental protection and public safety with respect to access restrictions, we recommend closing this roadway to thru travel during the winter months,” City Manager Edward F. Lavallee wrote to councilors.
According to the administration, keeping the road open would require full size dump trucks to plow and sand the roadway. However, due to the limited width of the road as well as the proximity of the water’s edge could have adverse affects on the health of the marsh.
Rocks, then marsh. Hitting a patch of ice on Hazard Road could spell big trouble for motorists. (Photo by Tom Shevlin)
In addition, with no guardrail to prevent cars from staying on the roadway in the event they begin to slide on snow or ice, the road could present a real hazard to motorists during winter driving season.
Plans to close the road call for the installation of a gate at the north end of the roadway along with the installation of signs to alert motorists to the road’s closure. According to the administration, appropriate funds are available the city’s traffic control account. The city has notified, via correspondence dated Nov. 24, the residents o f the Hazard Road neighborhood including Hazard Road, Ocean Heights Road and Highland Place about this current proposal, and so far no one has come forward to voice their objections.
Councilwoman Mary C. Connolly applauded the idea, and wondered if it might be wise to extend the city more discretion in closing the road outside of the specified dates. Lavallee responded that it may make sense to pursue such a strategy, however any further restrictions on the road would be better addressed through city ordinance.
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Newport, RI
