Rhode Island News

[kramie13]

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.

MassDOT said old exit signs would remain in place "for at least 2 years".  So far I've noticed that they are being removed when sign replacement projects take place 2 years after said stretch of highway was renumbered.

Most (but not all) old exit signs were removed from I-95 between I-93 in Woburn and the 128 split in Peabody (exits 56 through 64).  On US 3, between I-495 and the NH state line, there are no more old exit signs.  But on I-295, about half the yellow old exit signs remain after a recent sign replacement project was completed earlier this year (though this is only 4 miles in each direction).

I've also noticed if a gore sign gets replaced, its "old exit" banner is removed.  There are several instances of this on I-495 and I-95 south of Boston.

Bringing this thread back to Rhode Island, it seems they're doing a "hard pull" of the old exit signs "whenever they feel like doing so", even if it is less than 2 years like MassDOT stated.  Looking at Google Street View, the old exit signs on I-295 were pulled about 1 year after renumbering, before both I-95 and I-195 in the state were renumbered!

[Great Lakes Roads]

More saga in RIDOT on the westbound Washington Bridge replacement project.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/The-I-95-15/index.php

The I-95 "15", a $779 million project to replace 11 bridges and remove 4 bridges around the I-95/RI-10 interchange. The completion year on this project is 2031, which will be a seven-year project.

The contract was awarded to a joint venture of Skanska USA, McCourt Construction and Aetna Bridge Co for $625 million.

[vdeane]

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/The-I-95-15/index.php

The I-95 "15", a $779 million project to replace 11 bridges and remove 4 bridges around the I-95/RI-10 interchange. The completion year on this project is 2031, which will be a seven-year project.

The contract was awarded to a joint venture of Skanska USA, McCourt Construction and Aetna Bridge Co for $625 million.

Are they removing access between I-95 and the part of RI 10 to become a boulevard?  I'm not sure how else they're going to remove bridges 662 and 663 while retaining bridges 664 and 666.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/The-I-95-15/index.php

The I-95 "15", a $779 million project to replace 11 bridges and remove 4 bridges around the I-95/RI-10 interchange. The completion year on this project is 2031, which will be a seven-year project.

The contract was awarded to a joint venture of Skanska USA, McCourt Construction and Aetna Bridge Co for $625 million.

Are they removing access between I-95 and the part of RI 10 to become a boulevard?  I'm not sure how else they're going to remove bridges 662 and 663 while retaining bridges 664 and 666.

Yes, the ramp to Elmwood Avenue (US 1) from I-95 northbound as well as the ramp to I-95 northbound from RI-10 north will be removed as part of this project.

[vdeane]

Yes, the ramp to Elmwood Avenue (US 1) from I-95 northbound as well as the ramp to I-95 northbound from RI-10 north will be removed as part of this project.

So how will I-95 north traffic get to/from that area?  There aren't any nearby interchanges.  It would literally become "you can't get there from here".

[Ted$8roadFan]

I was wondering that myself.

[Ted$8roadFan]

The latest on the Washington Bridge mess:

https://www.wpri.com/traffic/i-195-washington-bridge-closure/east-providence-roadway-to-close-for-washington-bridge-work/

[Beeper1]

Yes, the ramp to Elmwood Avenue (US 1) from I-95 northbound as well as the ramp to I-95 northbound from RI-10 north will be removed as part of this project.

So how will I-95 north traffic get to/from that area?  There aren't any nearby interchanges.  It would literally become "you can't get there from here".

Those movements are not being removed.  Looking at the new interchange layouts on the project website, the ramp onto I-95 NB from RI-10 NB is not being removed.   The ramp from 95 NB to Elmwood Ave is being altered to instead lead directly into RI-10 SB.  But access to Elmwood Ave will still be available as the new version of the 10/Elmwood interchange will still have access to Elmwood from both directions of 10.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Yes, the ramp to Elmwood Avenue (US 1) from I-95 northbound as well as the ramp to I-95 northbound from RI-10 north will be removed as part of this project.

So how will I-95 north traffic get to/from that area?  There aren't any nearby interchanges.  It would literally become "you can't get there from here".

Those movements are not being removed.  Looking at the new interchange layouts on the project website, the ramp onto I-95 NB from RI-10 NB is not being removed.   The ramp from 95 NB to Elmwood Ave is being altered to instead lead directly into RI-10 SB.  But access to Elmwood Ave will still be available as the new version of the 10/Elmwood interchange will still have access to Elmwood from both directions of 10.

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/The-I-95-15/docs/95-15_PROPOSED_SCHEMATICS.pdf

Link to the schematics of the finished product...

[vdeane]

Yes, the ramp to Elmwood Avenue (US 1) from I-95 northbound as well as the ramp to I-95 northbound from RI-10 north will be removed as part of this project.

So how will I-95 north traffic get to/from that area?  There aren't any nearby interchanges.  It would literally become "you can't get there from here".

Those movements are not being removed.  Looking at the new interchange layouts on the project website, the ramp onto I-95 NB from RI-10 NB is not being removed.   The ramp from 95 NB to Elmwood Ave is being altered to instead lead directly into RI-10 SB.  But access to Elmwood Ave will still be available as the new version of the 10/Elmwood interchange will still have access to Elmwood from both directions of 10.

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/The-I-95-15/docs/95-15_PROPOSED_SCHEMATICS.pdf

Link to the schematics of the finished product...

Interesting.  That is significantly different than what the grant application says, where it shows the ramp bridges being removed and the mainline bridges being replaced, the reverse of what is shown there.  It makes more sense now.

[southshore720]

I thought I was going to hate the idea of downgrading the 10/95/Elmwood interchanges, but based on those recent schematics, I actually think it looks great!  It will truly bring an end to the pipe dreams that both RI 10 and RI 37 would go beyond their current stubs.

Speaking of stubs, are they currently reconfiguring the end of RI 138 in North Kingstown to remove the half-trumpet?

[shadyjay]

https://www.dot.ri.gov/projects/TowerHillRoad/index.php

I think its just an in-kind bridge replacement scenario with no changes to the ramps.  It wouldn't take too much to make the US 1 South to RI 138 East ramp come before the onramp from RI 138 West to US 1 South by utilizing what would have been the ramp to unbuilt RI 138 West. 

Maybe RIDOT is still holding out hope for some sort of freeway extension of RI 138 west of US 1, otherwise you'd think they'd at least make the SB to EB ramp a little more user friendly.
 

[Ted$8roadFan]

Some good news for RI's Washington Bridge rebuild:

https://turnto10.com/news/local/rhode-island-receives-1254-million-grant-to-help-with-washington-bridge-sept-20-2024

[Great Lakes Roads]

Washington Bridge updates...

Actual bridge construction won't start until 2026 and will take 2-3 years to complete

[kurumi]

Didn't see much about this at all in search or outside the forum, and it's not exactly news... but the I-84 EIS from 1972 shows a RI 102 expressway was being considered at the time.



The entire doc is online at Hathi: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556030784680&seq=37
Title: "I-84 extension from I-295 to the Connecticut state line : environmental impact statement"

[southshore720]

Didn't see much about this at all in search or outside the forum, and it's not exactly news... but the I-84 EIS from 1972 shows a RI 102 expressway was being considered at the time.

The entire doc is online at Hathi: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556030784680&seq=37
Title: "I-84 extension from I-295 to the Connecticut state line : environmental impact statement"

A Western RI 102 highway (which may have been an I-95 spur) would likely have been a toll road considering that it wouldn't service any major cities and would essentially be bypassing all of urban/suburban RI with few exits.  However, it would've allowed then I-84 (now I-384) to come into RI without interrupting the Scituate Reservoir.

[RobbieL2415]

Didn't see much about this at all in search or outside the forum, and it's not exactly news... but the I-84 EIS from 1972 shows a RI 102 expressway was being considered at the time.

The entire doc is online at Hathi: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ien.35556030784680&seq=37
Title: "I-84 extension from I-295 to the Connecticut state line : environmental impact statement"

A Western RI 102 highway (which may have been an I-95 spur) would likely have been a toll road considering that it wouldn't service any major cities and would essentially be bypassing all of urban/suburban RI with few exits.  However, it would've allowed then I-84 (now I-384) to come into RI without interrupting the Scituate Reservoir.

I'll bet you it was a planned CT Turnpike extension.

[The Ghostbuster]

Was the Connecticut Turnpike ever proposed to be extended into Rhode Island? I know that there had been a proposed 260-mile Cape Cod Expressway that was to link New York City, NY with Provincetown, MA: http://www.nycroads.com/roads/ct-turnpike/#google_vignette. However, once the Interstate 84 Hartford-Providence proposal came to fruition, I doubt there were any plans to extend the tolled Connecticut Turnpike any further than it goes today.

[pderocco]

Was the Connecticut Turnpike ever proposed to be extended into Rhode Island? I know that there had been a proposed 260-mile Cape Cod Expressway that was to link New York City, NY with Provincetown, MA: http://www.nycroads.com/roads/ct-turnpike/#google_vignette. However, once the Interstate 84 Hartford-Providence proposal came to fruition, I doubt there were any plans to extend the tolled Connecticut Turnpike any further than it goes today.

I summered in P'town as a 1950s child, and can tell you there certainly were a lot of New Yorkers doing the same. NY plates were by far the most common out-of-state plates in my grandfather's parking lot.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I've noticed that beginning in the early 2000s, many NY/NJ residents have discovered RI as a second home/summertimr destination. Enough distance from the city, cheaper than Long Island, and two hours closer (and less traffic) than Cape Cod.

[shadyjay]

Was the Connecticut Turnpike ever proposed to be extended into Rhode Island? I know that there had been a proposed 260-mile Cape Cod Expressway that was to link New York City, NY with Provincetown, MA: http://www.nycroads.com/roads/ct-turnpike/#google_vignette. However, once the Interstate 84 Hartford-Providence proposal came to fruition, I doubt there were any plans to extend the tolled Connecticut Turnpike any further than it goes today.

I wouldn't think the Connecticut Turnpike would have extended into RI, given that its RI and not CT, so it would have to be another turnpike.  Not sure if RITBA had an actual turnpike on its radar back then.  Their web site's history page only tells the history of the bridges under RITBA control and doesn't mention any actual turnpikes.  https://www.ritba.org/

It does seem like a road from the CT Turnpike to Providence would've been a logical extension, but perhaps one that RI didn't want to finance on its own.  But when the feds came a' knockin' with I-84, the environmentalists were ready with their reservoir objections. 

Or that they just wanted "future I-95" to have more mileage within the state, heading down to South County.  If I-95 had been rerouted onto the CT Turnpike, then due east to Providence, it would've bypassed the whole southern half of the state.  Granted I-95 doesn't follow the coast in RI, but on a different routing, perhaps more upgrading would've been done to US 1, expanding the short freeway in Narragansett further west towards Westerly and north towards Warwick.

[Beeper1]

When RITBA was created they definitely had a turnpike on their mind, though not on the US-6 corridor connecting to the CT Turnpike (in fact, RITBA was created in 1954, a few years before the CT Turnpike was built).

Here is the language about it in the legislation that created the RITBA:
"(13) "Turnpike" means the controlled access highway or any portion thereof to be constructed or acquired, from time to time, under the provisions of this chapter from a point at or near the Connecticut-Rhode Island border through the county of Washington and the county of Newport to a point at or near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border in the town of Tiverton (excluding the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the Newport Bridge, and the Sakonnet River Bridge), together with all bridges (except those mentioned above), overpasses, underpasses, interchanges, entrance plazas, approaches, approach roads, tollhouses, service stations, and administration, storage, and other buildings and facilities which the authority may deem necessary for the operation of the turnpike, together with all property, rights, easements, and interests which may be acquired by the authority for the construction or the operation of the turnpike."  -RI General Laws, Title 24, Chapter 12, Section 1. 

Sounds like it would have been aligned closer to the coast.  East end was clearly along what is now RI-24 and over the Newport/Jamestown bridges on RI-138.  A bit less clear on the west end, but somewhere in Washington County, so I'm guessing roughly along the RI-138 corridor and then down the RI-3 corridor to roughly where I-95 crosses the state line now.   

[southshore720]

Any updates on the big Exit 1 Rest Area/Truck Stop in Westerly?  Wondering why they don't enhance the existing Rest Areas between Exits 9 and 14 (Former 4 and 5), or upgrade the current RI Visitor Center before Exit 7 (Former 3).

[Ted$8roadFan]

RI is more like Massachusetts in that they clearly don't care much about their rest areas. Witness the welcome center on I-295 north heading out of RI.