Rhode Island News

[The Ghostbuster]

Well, it's official. The Interstate 195 westbound Washington Bridge will be demolished and replaced: https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-washington-bridge-closure-b6843610619bb76111458c58b4f38502. It will be a mess for a couple of years, but the project should be completed by the end of 2026.

[abqtraveler]

Well, it's official. The Interstate 195 westbound Washington Bridge will be demolished and replaced: https://apnews.com/article/rhode-island-washington-bridge-closure-b6843610619bb76111458c58b4f38502. It will be a mess for a couple of years, but the project should be completed by the end of 2026.

I was reading another article where RIDOT will place the eastbound bridge into a temporary configuration to carry traffic in both directions while the westbound bridge is demolished and rebuilt. 

https://www.wbur.org/news/2024/03/15/washington-bridge-providence-demolish

[Ted$8roadFan]

In related news, the City of Providence is considering removing some of the bike lanes on some 195-adjacent streets to help ease the massive increase in traffic the city has experienced since the bridge was first closed in December. 

[pderocco]

In related news, the City of Providence is considering removing some of the bike lanes on some 195-adjacent streets to help ease the massive increase in traffic the city has experienced since the bridge was first closed in December.

There goes the climate.

[Alps]

In related news, the City of Providence is considering removing some of the bike lanes on some 195-adjacent streets to help ease the massive increase in traffic the city has experienced since the bridge was first closed in December. 

I hope they don't. I'm sure RIDOT wouldn't, and I've been in Providence enough to see those lanes do get used by bikes when the weather permits, both weekend and weekday.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Seen from I-95 south: looks like a new traffic pattern has emerged at the Providence mixmaster, where traffic entering from 6/10 north no longer have to cut over two lanes of traffic exiting for RI-146 to stay on I-95 north. That alone is a huge improvement.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The latest on the Washington bridge. As usual, more $$$

https://www.necn.com/news/local/cost-to-repair-washington-bridge-in-ri-now-over-400m/3228655/

[The Ghostbuster]

Cost overruns for transportation projects are nothing new. Let's just hope they reconstruct it right the first time.

[Ted$8roadFan]

This is Rhode Island. Anything is possible.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Funding for improvements are coming to the Mount Hope Bridge:

https://www.wpri.com/news/transportation/ri-getting-27-million-to-upgrade-mount-hope-bridge/

[SectorZ]

Funding for improvements are coming to the Mount Hope Bridge:

https://www.wpri.com/news/transportation/ri-getting-27-million-to-upgrade-mount-hope-bridge/

Hopefully the federal funds force them to re-allow cyclists on it, especially given the massive detour involved for them.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Opening this weekend on RI-146: one northbound lane will go over the new bridge over the Sayles Hill Road intersection!

https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/blackstone-valley/route-146-flyover-bridge-to-open-this-weekend/

[citrus]

I went through the newly still-under-construction Newport-side approaches today. The signage for RI-138 East from the new access road is confusing...if it's not an error, it's almost as if the State wants drivers to use Connell/Coddington to get to RI-114 instead of Admiral Kalbfus.  Getting to the bridge isn't any better, with no clear signage. I'm sure it wil change before too long.

Who knows, they might.  There will need to be some work with the route designations regardless due to RI 138A and RI 238, so who knows what they have planned.  Google Maps seems to be convinced that something will happen there July 10, so maybe we'll know then.

Circling back to this discussion, I drove through Newport yesterday. More work has been completed; the old outdated ramp from the Pell Bridge eastbound into Newport that always backed up in the summer has been dismantled and there are now two left turn lanes for those heading into Newport from the bridge. The old freeway stub continues to be taken apart piece by piece.

As for the left turn for RI-138 on Admiral Kalbfus (even though RI-138 actually turns right), the former is signed as "Truck Route" which kind of makes sense. JT Connell/Coddington can be congested with all of the traffic heading into and out of the shopping center, as well as those seeking to avoid West Main Road as much as possible.

Yeah, it's a mess.  That sign coming from the bridge is the only one saying RI 138 goes that way; everything else still shows it going the way it always has.  RI 138A is harder to pin down, but if we assume that all signs that have or lack a TO banner are correct, it appears to end at the roundabout.  RI 238 isn't signed around here at all; it it even still around?

RI 238 is still around, was never really signed well.

I was in Newport last week, and while I was a passenger and not fully paying attention, all signs I saw showed 138 going via JT Connell / Coddington Highways, consistently. I did NOT see any 138 EB or NB signs on Admiral Kalbfus, including at the junction with West Main / 114. On the way back, on SB 114, there was a sign assembly directing 138 SB to make the right turn on Coddington, and 138 NB to make the subsequent left turn on East Main. I didn't go further on 114 SB so didn't see what the signage that direction at Admiral Kalbfus / old(?) 138 was like, nor did I take East Main to see what signage was like approaching 114 in that direction. To be consistent, it would need to direct 138 SB onto a quick wrong-way overlap with 114 before making its left turn onto Coddington.

I also only saw 138A trailblazers on Farewell St / America's Cup Ave, no 238 trailblazers at all.

Gave me questions!
- is 238 actually gone?
- is 138A now legitimately following its signed route, or is it just RIDOT being RIDOT?
- Does Admiral Kalbfus not have any route designation anymore?
- Does 114 have a dangling end now?
Street View is from Sept 2023, so I'm curious what the updates are like.


Lots of construction around RI, in general:
- The US-6 / RI-10 interchange area looks like they are going to open up some ramps (hopefully reopening the ramps to/from Westminster St and that area) soon. My sister lives in the area and mentioned that locals find the new flyover from RI-10 NB -> US-6 WB to be "scary" due to its height! I've been in California too long to notice.
- The I-95 NB viaduct in Providence is totally reconfigured with a large C/D road for the US-6/RI-10 interchange + the RI-146 interchange. This is a net positive IMO, but local drivers clearly have not adjusted with lots of last minute lane changes across gore points. The signage right now is all temporary / orange signs, and the entire area is a construction zone. I do wonder if it was a great idea to have 3 EXIT ONLY lanes show up right after the merge from I-195... seems like a recipe for even more weaving than there used to be, with now one more lane, and the RI-146 exiters need to participate. Hopefully this did not just trade one weaving problem for another.
- The I-295/RI-37 interchange looked like it was being prepped for some work
- The US-1/RI-138 interchange is going to be under construction for 2 years, as they are replacing the overpass on US-1. Will still remain a partial cloverleaf, though!
- The exit for T.F. Green Airport has a HUGE "Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport" sculpture in both directions of I-95.
- Tons of construction on RI-146 in Smithfield; I was driving SB and the flyover that direction was definitely under construction, but RI-146 itself was still following what is probably the future frontage road SB.
- I didn't go near the I-195 / Washington Bridge mess
- I grew up in RI and seeing all the mileage-based exit numbers is a trip. I had all the sequential numbers memorized as a kid, and my memory is that most people gave directions using the exit numbers, so it was definitely interesting to see! One of my friends said it was weird to see exit numbers in the 40s because it made RI seem larger, but as I pointed out.... I-95 in RI didn't change length!

[Ted$8roadFan]

I went through the newly still-under-construction Newport-side approaches today. The signage for RI-138 East from the new access road is confusing...if it's not an error, it's almost as if the State wants drivers to use Connell/Coddington to get to RI-114 instead of Admiral Kalbfus.  Getting to the bridge isn't any better, with no clear signage. I'm sure it wil change before too long.

Who knows, they might.  There will need to be some work with the route designations regardless due to RI 138A and RI 238, so who knows what they have planned.  Google Maps seems to be convinced that something will happen there July 10, so maybe we'll know then.

Circling back to this discussion, I drove through Newport yesterday. More work has been completed; the old outdated ramp from the Pell Bridge eastbound into Newport that always backed up in the summer has been dismantled and there are now two left turn lanes for those heading into Newport from the bridge. The old freeway stub continues to be taken apart piece by piece.

As for the left turn for RI-138 on Admiral Kalbfus (even though RI-138 actually turns right), the former is signed as "Truck Route" which kind of makes sense. JT Connell/Coddington can be congested with all of the traffic heading into and out of the shopping center, as well as those seeking to avoid West Main Road as much as possible.

Yeah, it's a mess.  That sign coming from the bridge is the only one saying RI 138 goes that way; everything else still shows it going the way it always has.  RI 138A is harder to pin down, but if we assume that all signs that have or lack a TO banner are correct, it appears to end at the roundabout.  RI 238 isn't signed around here at all; it it even still around?

RI 238 is still around, was never really signed well.

I was in Newport last week, and while I was a passenger and not fully paying attention, all signs I saw showed 138 going via JT Connell / Coddington Highways, consistently. I did NOT see any 138 EB or NB signs on Admiral Kalbfus, including at the junction with West Main / 114. On the way back, on SB 114, there was a sign assembly directing 138 SB to make the right turn on Coddington, and 138 NB to make the subsequent left turn on East Main. I didn't go further on 114 SB so didn't see what the signage that direction at Admiral Kalbfus / old(?) 138 was like, nor did I take East Main to see what signage was like approaching 114 in that direction. To be consistent, it would need to direct 138 SB onto a quick wrong-way overlap with 114 before making its left turn onto Coddington.

I also only saw 138A trailblazers on Farewell St / America's Cup Ave, no 238 trailblazers at all.

Gave me questions!
- is 238 actually gone?
- is 138A now legitimately following its signed route, or is it just RIDOT being RIDOT?
- Does Admiral Kalbfus not have any route designation anymore?
- Does 114 have a dangling end now?
Street View is from Sept 2023, so I'm curious what the updates are like.

Haven't been there in a while. Given all of the construction in the area that has happened and is still occurring, I wouldn't be surprised either way.


Lots of construction around RI, in general:
- The US-6 / RI-10 interchange area looks like they are going to open up some ramps (hopefully reopening the ramps to/from Westminster St and that area) soon. My sister lives in the area and mentioned that locals find the new flyover from RI-10 NB -> US-6 WB to be "scary" due to its height! I've been in California too long to notice.

The flyover is welcome, as it is easier to go from RI-10 north to US-6 west than before. I can see why some people find it scary due to its height, probably the tallest in the state.

- The I-95 NB viaduct in Providence is totally reconfigured with a large C/D road for the US-6/RI-10 interchange + the RI-146 interchange. This is a net positive IMO, but local drivers clearly have not adjusted with lots of last minute lane changes across gore points. The signage right now is all temporary / orange signs, and the entire area is a construction zone. I do wonder if it was a great idea to have 3 EXIT ONLY lanes show up right after the merge from I-195... seems like a recipe for even more weaving than there used to be, with now one more lane, and the RI-146 exiters need to participate. Hopefully this did not just trade one weaving problem for another.

The new viaduct is most welcome for those (like me) who drive through Providence and don't normally get off at any of the downtown interchanges. It saves us from  weaving with exiting and entering traffic, but doesn't eliminate it completely. The merge of the thru lanes and the downtown lane just north of RI-146 is a bit jarring, and it will take some getting used to. I wonder if there will be future changes to address weaving between I-195 and the new C/D.

- The I-295/RI-37 interchange looked like it was being prepped for some work

The Cranston Canyon project is moving ahead. You can see work on I-295 north where a third lane is being  added and the ramp from Phenix Avenue to I-295 north is being shifted from the left to right. It's a notorious slow zone, especially during rush hour, so it should be much improved when done.

- The US-1/RI-138 interchange is going to be under construction for 2 years, as they are replacing the overpass on US-1. Will still remain a partial cloverleaf, though!

I got my hopes up that RIDOT would use this chance get rid of the partial cloverleaf and add more length to the accel/decel lanes, but I guess I shouldn't have. 

- The exit for T.F. Green Airport has a HUGE "Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport" sculpture in both directions of I-95.

Some have questioned the resources spent to put in the new signage in light of other needs. I think the signs are great and a way to remind everyone (esp. visitors from NY and BOS driving by) that the airport exists as a viable alternative. 

- Tons of construction on RI-146 in Smithfield; I was driving SB and the flyover that direction was definitely under construction, but RI-146 itself was still following what is probably the future frontage road SB.

Another widening project with improvements to the weaving, reconfiguring the present interchanges, and eliminating the stoplight at Sayles Hill Road. Should make for much better traffic flows.

- I didn't go near the I-195 / Washington Bridge mess

Nor have I. You can see bumper to bumper traffic queuing from both directions on I-95 to I-195 due to the changes in traffic patterns, but I think most drivers have gotten used to it as best they can.

- I grew up in RI and seeing all the mileage-based exit numbers is a trip. I had all the sequential numbers memorized as a kid, and my memory is that most people gave directions using the exit numbers, so it was definitely interesting to see! One of my friends said it was weird to see exit numbers in the 40s because it made RI seem larger, but as I pointed out.... I-95 in RI didn't change length!

It is remarkable that so much construction is taking place in the Ocean State after many years where comparatively little has happened. Most of the projects are the biggest changes to the highways since their initial construction decades ago. I'd say it's about time. For the most part,  U.S. Senator Jack Reed has helped secure funding for numerous projects.

[Vaulter]

The August 2026 opening for the Washington Bridge is no more.

https://turnto10.com/news/local/mckee-to-discuss-the-washington-bridge-effort-july-9-2024#

[The Ghostbuster]

Well, that sucks. With no one successfully bidding on reconstructing the bridge, the project could be delayed indefinitely. Not a good move.

[Alps]

Well, that sucks. With no one successfully bidding on reconstructing the bridge, the project could be delayed indefinitely. Not a good move.

It won't be indefinite. It'll be maybe 6 months extra to revise the bid package.

[Rothman]

Makes me wonder what the poison pill was.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I'm not sure why I would blame would-be contractors for not wanting to get involved in a certified sh*t show that involves fixing some of the most high-profile critical infrastructure in the state around the very time of an election where the most important politician in the state leading the charge is up for reelection.   

[Ted$8roadFan]

After seven months, some progress (finally) to report on the Washington Bridge.

https://turnto10.com/news/local/aetna-bridge-co-secures-demolition-of-washington-bridge-southern-new-englanf-rhode-island-construction-commuter-crisis-travel-driver-cars-trucks-july-16-2024

[kramie13]

I drove the entire stretch of I-95 south over the weekend from the MA state line to the CT state line.

RI DOT is slowing removing the yellow "Old Exit XX" signs along I-95.  Approaching the "left" exits (RI 4 going south, I-295 going north), the overhead old exit banners (old exit 9 SB, old exit 11 NB) have been plucked, resulting in vertical sign posts being exposed above the left exit tabs.

Meanwhile, many (but not all) of the old exit signs along I-95 in Massachusetts still remain today, even though Mass DOT changed the exit numbers a year and a half before RI did.  Weird...

[bob7374]

I drove the entire stretch of I-95 south over the weekend from the MA state line to the CT state line.

RI DOT is slowing removing the yellow "Old Exit XX" signs along I-95.  Approaching the "left" exits (RI 4 going south, I-295 going north), the overhead old exit banners (old exit 9 SB, old exit 11 NB) have been plucked, resulting in vertical sign posts being exposed above the left exit tabs.

Meanwhile, many (but not all) of the old exit signs along I-95 in Massachusetts still remain today, even though Mass DOT changed the exit numbers a year and a half before RI did.  Weird...

MassDOT said it would not be going back 2 years after exit renumbering was completed on a highway specifically to remove the Old Exit signs, that they would be removed as part of any future routine maintenance or, as has been done along I-295 and US 3, as part of sign replacement projects.

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm sure states that have undergone sequential-to-mileage-based exit renumbering have removed the old exit signs at different paces (or in Georgia's case, not put them up at all). Here in Morgantown, PA near Interstate 176's northern terminus, there is an old exit 4A-B exit sign: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dumpster+Dudez/@40.0754623,-75.5381827,645m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89c693ed755e3e07:0x51c476f289cdd927!8m2!3d40.0759888!4d-75.5379964?entry=ttu. This is despite the fact that Pennsylvania undertook their exit number conversion more than 20 years ago.

[vdeane]

Approaching the "left" exits (RI 4 going south, I-295 going north), the overhead old exit banners (old exit 9 SB, old exit 11 NB) have been plucked, resulting in vertical sign posts being exposed above the left exit tabs.

Yuck.  Couldn't they have used a second set of posts so that it wouldn't look so ugly in its permanent configuration?

[shadyjay]

One would figure if they went up there to remove the "OLD EXIT #" tabs, they would've torched off the extensions... guess not (yet at least).  Seeing how it is RI, I am a little surprised they removed them so (relatively) quickly!

PA still has some "OLD EXIT ##" tabs on I-80 near Stroudsburg/DWG, as of last month.

CT removed theirs from I-395 a couple years ago, which were extruded aluminum.  The rest of the "OLD EXIT ##" signs going up are just sheets and aren't supposed to be removed from Route 9 until probably next summer.