Rhode Island News

[Great Lakes Roads]

A design/build contract for the replacement of the westbound Washington Bridge should be announced sometime within the next few days.

American Bridge or Walsh, which one will it be?

[kramie13]

Traveled on I-95 north from TF Green Airport up to the MA state line yesterday.  There are no more "old exit XX" signs.  Yet some of them are still there on the Massachusetts side of the state line, even though MA changed their exit numbers before RI.

Even more gross, some overhead signs still have support beams sticking out from the top where the yellow old exit banners used to exist.  Here is an example from last July.  But I noticed these "rabbit ears" at the Providence Place exit (SB), the RI 126 exit (both directions), and the RI 122 exit (NB).

[roadman65]

I noticed on street view that US 1 has its zero mile post at Route 78 instead of the Pawtuck River?  Is Rhode Island one to not count routes under local jurisdiction as part of the state mileage?

[vdeane]

I noticed on street view that US 1 has its zero mile post at Route 78 instead of the Pawtuck River?  Is Rhode Island one to not count routes under local jurisdiction as part of the state mileage?

Many northeastern states will only put mileposts on expressways/freeways and set the 0 point at the beginning of the expressway/freeway rather than the start of the route.  Happens all the time in NY.

[roadman65]

I noticed on street view that US 1 has its zero mile post at Route 78 instead of the Pawtuck River?  Is Rhode Island one to not count routes under local jurisdiction as part of the state mileage?

Many northeastern states will only put mileposts on expressways/freeways and set the 0 point at the beginning of the expressway/freeway rather than the start of the route.  Happens all the time in NY.

Well that's interesting. It does make sense and being US and state route are not part of federal requirements to post  mileposts, the state can develop their own system or not (as many states don't sign mile markers).

Thanks for answering that question.

[roadman65]

I see signage for RI 138 in Newport has gotten real bad since the past couple of years.  I noticed that SB RI 138 approaching Route 114 the overlap with that route is ignored and now implies that the route terminates there.

Coming off the Claiborne Pell Bridge into Newport since the freeway there was removed the signage at the new intersection with Admiral Kalbfus Road shows both RI 138 and RI 114 to turn left onto that street toward the Naval Complex with no signs at the roundabout created at Connelly Highway.

Then on Admiral Kalbfus at Main Road, again, the overlap with RI 114 is ignored for sole RI 114 signs.

Is RI 138 now discontinued through that city?

[Rothman]

I see signage for RI 138 in Newport has gotten real bad since the past couple of years.  I noticed that SB RI 138 approaching Route 114 the overlap with that route is ignored and now implies that the route terminates there.

Coming off the Claiborne Pell Bridge into Newport since the freeway there was removed the signage at the new intersection with Admiral Kalbfus Road shows both RI 138 and RI 114 to turn left onto that street toward the Naval Complex with no signs at the roundabout created at Connelly Highway.

Then on Admiral Kalbfus at Main Road, again, the overlap with RI 114 is ignored for sole RI 114 signs.

Is RI 138 now discontinued through that city?

No...

https://www.dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/State_Maintained_Roads.php

[roadman65]

I see signage for RI 138 in Newport has gotten real bad since the past couple of years.  I noticed that SB RI 138 approaching Route 114 the overlap with that route is ignored and now implies that the route terminates there.

Coming off the Claiborne Pell Bridge into Newport since the freeway there was removed the signage at the new intersection with Admiral Kalbfus Road shows both RI 138 and RI 114 to turn left onto that street toward the Naval Complex with no signs at the roundabout created at Connelly Highway.

Then on Admiral Kalbfus at Main Road, again, the overlap with RI 114 is ignored for sole RI 114 signs.

Is RI 138 now discontinued through that city?

No...

https://www.dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/State_Maintained_Roads.php

It figures. That means poor signing by their district.

IMO SR 114 needs truncation removing it's overlap.

After looking at that map showing solely SR 114 on Main Road, maybe that's why signage so non existent there. Someone read this diagram and thought that part of Main was SR 114 solo.

[kramie13]

Driving south on I-295, after crossing the border from MA, I've noticed that the right lane is closed just before the exit for RI 114.  It's then open after the interchange, but closed again just before the exit for RI 122.  Then again at RI 146 and again at RI 7.  I looked for information about this on the RI DOT web site but couldn't find anything.

Why are there lane closures for four interchanges in a row?????  It's really infuriating when I am exiting at one of these interchanges.  I get in the right lane about a mile before the exit but then have to merge into the center lane just before exiting right.

And for slow-moving through traffic, they have to merge with center lane traffic 4 times in a row over a 7-mile stretch.

WTF, RI DOT?

[shadyjay]

I believe its for bridge work.  The left lane was closed for a while at those exits IIRC.

[kramie13]

I believe its for bridge work.  The left lane was closed for a while at those exits IIRC.

But do 4 bridges have to be worked on simultaneously?

[pderocco]

I believe its for bridge work.  The left lane was closed for a while at those exits IIRC.

But do 4 bridges have to be worked on simultaneously?

As I recall, they do the same crap in Massachusetts, at least on MA-128/I-95.

[shadyjay]

Perhaps the better way to do it, if they're doing 4 at the same time, would be to have a continuous right lane closure, instead of just at the bridges themselves.  This eliminates the constant merging factor.