Perimeter road at iconic Jamestown property set to close

January 28, 2020 4:29 pm

By Josh Faiola

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I (WLNE) – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced that the perimeter loop road surrounding the lighthouse at Beavertail State Park will be closed to traffic on February 3rd.

The decision came after damage from Superstorm Sandy, along with erosion and storm surge intensified by climate-change driven sea-level rise made it a necessity to close.

The DEM said the lighthouse and the surrounding area will remain accessible to pedestrians, and the closure is being enacted to protect public safety.

DEM Director, Janet Coit said the “DEM’s strategic study on modernizing state parks and beaches notes that Rhode Island must do more to make our special places more resilient to the effects of climate change, and this project does just that.”

“It also underscores Governor Raimondo’s commitment to addressing climate change and investing in our natural assets as shown by her proposed $64 million Beach, Clean Water, and Green Bond, now under consideration by the general assembly. First and foremost, our work at iconic Beavertail State Park is about protecting public safety, I’m pleased that pedestrian visitors will continue to have access to Beavertail’s spectacular vistas, which rival those of any coastal attraction in New England,” said Coit.

According to the DEM, with the closure, traffic inside the par on Beavertail Road will be redirected to the interior loop road located just north of the lighthouse and will no longer be allowed to travel on the portion of the road that circles the Museum and Lighthouse.