Interstate 195
Interstate 195 links downtown Providence with Seekonk and Fall River, Massachusetts. The freeway initially received the designation Interstate 95E in 1957, before receiving the Interstate 195 numbering in 1959. Work opened the majority of the freeway into Massachusetts by 1960, yet the interchange with Interstate 95 was not completed until 1964 and the portion along Fox Point Boulevard through India Point Park until 1968. The freeway utilizes the 1932-built eastbound Washington Bridge and 1968-built westbound Washington Bridge over the Seekonk River.1
Due to the substandard nature of Interstate 195 and high accident rate associated with the freeway, RIDOT and the FHWA approved a new alignment. Work between 2005 and 2010 relocated Interstate 195 onto a southerly path through India Point Park between a new Interstate 95 interchange and replaced Washington Bridges. The project includes a new steel arch (Iway) bridge for the Providence River and a replacement pedestrian overpass at India Point Park.1,2 The $610 million project entailed redevelopment of land, parks, new walking paths, and other infrastructure improvements. Completion of the new freeway and arch bridge occurred in stages between November 4, 2007 and October 22, 2009. Demolition of the old bridge and subsequent street improvements followed between 2008 and 2012.3,4.
Interstate 195 Highway Guides
| Interstate 195 east - Downtown Providence Old Alignment |
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U.S. 6 joined Interstate 195 from Interstate 95 southbound at the eastbound beginning. The tandem proceeded northeast through downtown Providence toward the Providence River and East Providence, meeting Dyer Street at Exit 1. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Ramps converged from Interstate 95 north, Interstate 95 south & U.S. 6 east, and Friendship Street north. The downtown skyline came into view as Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 curved eastward. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 eastbound turned eastward toward the Dyer Street off-ramp (Exit 1). Dyer Street transitions into Memorial Boulevard at the Crawford Street bridge. Memorial Boulevard carries U.S. 44 eastbound between Steeple and Crawford Streets alongside the Seekonk River. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Exit 1 departed Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 eastbound for Dyer Street and downtown Providence. Memorial Boulevard travels north and west along the river to junction U.S. 1 (Francis Street) and the Interstate 95 interchange with U.S. 6 & Rhode Island 10. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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The freeway crossed the Providence River and quickly entered the Exit 2 interchange with Point and Wickenden Streets. Point Street spans the Providence River and passed under Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 between intersections with Water and Main Streets (U.S. 44 east & west). Wickenden Street continues Point Street east from the former freeway to Hope and Gano Streets. India Point Park lies south of Wickenden Street and Interstate 195. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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U.S. 1A & 44 eastbound joined Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 between Exits 2 and 4. The pair now continue along a couplet of Main Street to the new Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 ahead of India Point Park. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Exit 3 left the Interstate 195 & U.S. 1A-6-44 eastbound freeway at the former India Point Park pedestrian over crossing. The new Interstate 195 also sees a ramp onto Indian Street east for Gano Street and a new pedestrian overpass links Indian Point Park with East Street on the north side of I-195. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Interstate 195 & U.S. 1A-6-44 eastbound traveled the 1932-constructed Washington arch Bridge over the Seekonk River. The span was replaced in conjunction with the Interstate 195 relocation project by a new five-lane bridge. Photo taken 06/26/05. |
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Additional views of the original Washington Bridge along Interstate 195 & U.S. 1A-6-44 eastbound. The westbound span carried four lanes in 2005, but was expanded to carry five overall lanes during the Iway project. The river represents the boundary between Providence and East Providence. First photo taken 06/26/05. Second photo taken 06/26/05. |
| Interstate 195 west - Downtown Providence Old Alignment |
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Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 originally turned westward along side Benefit Street and the Providence River where they split with U.S. 44 via the Exit 2 off-ramp to South Main Street. Exit 2 now connects with benefit Street further south from the Iway bridge approach. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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U.S. 44 follows the one-way couplet of Main and Water Streets northward from Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 along the Providence River. U.S. 44 west remains along Main Street through to Smith Street where it turns west to the State Capitol.
Exit 2 departed I-195 over Wickenden Street, joining northbound Main Street ahead of Transit Street. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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High rises from the central business district came into view along Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 west at the crossing over Wickenden and Point Streets. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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Turning westward, Interstate 195 & U.S. 6 spanned the Providence River north of the Point Street Bridge. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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The Exit 1 off-ramp to Dyer Street northbound from Interstate 195 was removed by 2004. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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Spanning the Providence River along a 1958-built bridge north of the Jewelry District of downtown Providence. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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A diagrammatic overhead posted one quarter mile east of the directional interchange with Interstate 95 on I-195 west. U.S. 6 joined Interstate 95 northbound from the west end of Interstate 195, as it does today. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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Three lanes of Interstate 195 partitioned into separate two-lane ramps for Interstate 95 south to New London, CT and New York and north to Pawtucket and Boston. An on-ramp joined the freeway end from Dorrance and Dyer Streets. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
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Interstate 195 concluded at the ramp split to Interstate 95 adjacent to Pine Street. Franklin Street was extended south from Pine Street to Point Street through the former interchange grounds. Photo taken 07/28/07. |
Sources:
- East Providence Expressway (I-195 and US 6), BostonRoads.com.
- RIDOT 195 Relocation Animations (
http://www.dot.state.ri.us/projects/construction/195relo/).
- 195 Relocation: Background (
http://www.providence.edu/polisci/students/indiapointpark/195background.html), Current Issues Facing India Point Park (http://www.providence.edu/polisci/students/indiapointpark/index.html).
- Iway @ Wikipedia.org.
Photo Credits:
2005-06-26 by AARoads and Carter Buchanan. 2007-07-28 by AARoads.
Connect with:
Interstate 95
U.S. Highway 6
Page Updated 08-14-2012. |
