Rhode Island News

[shadyjay]

They did greatly expand the hours of the I-95 Hope Valley rest area/welcome center... it may be 24/7 now.  Considering it was closed for several years, the fact that its open again is well above Massachusetts (see Mansfield MA).  The one on I-295 NB is a visitor center and is still open as far as I know.  The southbound one is not, being very overgrown and abandoned.  That one's been closed for at least since the 90s.

[southshore720]

Op-Ed from former Attorney General Arlene Violet regarding the Washington Bridge:
https://www.valleybreeze.com/opinion/editorials/monitor-and-maintain-the-east-side-of-the-washington-bridge/article_9deed73c-ac35-11ef-8a78-8375f21bdd10.html

[southshore720]

Also, I noticed that RIDOT has removed the "Old Exit XX" tabs from most of the I-95 signage.  They are definitely more on top of this than MASSDOT.

[The Ghostbuster]

How common are "Old Exit Number" signs that are still attached to renumbered exit signs in Massachusetts? The old exit number signs on renumbered exit signs are only supposed to be up for two years after the conversion, but whether due to incompetence or laziness (among other reasons), some old exit number signs don't get removed in a timely manner.

[SectorZ]

How common are "Old Exit Number" signs that are still attached to renumbered exit signs in Massachusetts? The old exit number signs on renumbered exit signs are only supposed to be up for two years after the conversion, but whether due to incompetence or laziness (among other reasons), some old exit number signs don't get removed in a timely manner.

Unless an accident took it down or a new sign project has occurred (like US 3), every other "old exit XX" sign is still up in Massachusetts. I am pretty sure that is how they're coming down, just like PennDOT did.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Some news on truck tolls:

https://www.wpri.com/news/politics/appeals-court-renders-split-decision-on-ri-truck-toll-lawsuit/

[Ted$8roadFan]

The latest on the Washington Bridge (and other RI projects):

https://www.wpri.com/news/politics/ri-congressional-delegation-asks-trump-admin-to-release-funds-for-washington-bridge-local-transportation-projects/

[Great Lakes Roads]

Yikes...

[Ted$8roadFan]

It's Rhode Island, so of course something like this could happen.

[Great Lakes Roads]

More problems at the Washington Bridge demo...

This is RIDOT at its finest! 

[Ted$8roadFan]

Feds encourage inspection of Newport Pell Bridge as part of nationwide ca,Paige:

https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/east-bay/ntsb-urges-ritba-to-assess-newport-pell-bridge/

[Ted$8roadFan]

The latest on the Washington Bridge:

https://www.wpri.com/traffic/i-195-washington-bridge-closure/ri-secures-220m-in-federal-funding-for-washington-bridge-rebuild/

[The Ghostbuster]

East of the Washington Bridge, the segment of Interstate 195 between Potter St. and Lyon Ave. looks like a potential location for a cap. Another potential location for a cap is also along Interstate 95 between Westminster St. and Washington St. I don't know if any caps are coming to Providence, but since other cities are constructing caps, it may be something the city should consider.

[pderocco]

East of the Washington Bridge, the segment of Interstate 195 between Potter St. and Lyon Ave. looks like a potential location for a cap. Another potential location for a cap is also along Interstate 95 between Westminster St. and Washington St. I don't know if any caps are coming to Providence, but since other cities are constructing caps, it may be something the city should consider.

There's a fair amount of depressed freeway there, but there are two problems. First, some of it is through business areas that never see any ped traffic anyway, so no one's yearning to "reconnect neighborhoods" there. The other is that once you've capped it, it's harder to widen the road in the future. And if they're smart, the new Washington Bridge will be wider.

[Ted$8roadFan]

After 50+ years, work will finally begin on the missing links between I-95 and RI-4 in Warwick/East Greenwich:

https://www.wpri.com/traffic/road-work/ri-leaders-to-break-ground-on-quonset-connector-ramps/

[Great Lakes Roads]

Update on the Washington Bridge saga.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Here's a video on the I-95 "15 Bridges" project, a ~$800M project to remove/replace 15 bridges around the I-95/RI 10 interchange. This project should be done by 2031.

[kramie13]

After 50+ years, work will finally begin on the missing links between I-95 and RI-4 in Warwick/East Greenwich:

https://www.wpri.com/traffic/road-work/ri-leaders-to-break-ground-on-quonset-connector-ramps/

Right now, the ramp from 95 south to 4 south is signed as exit 24B.
Going north, there's also an exit 24B, but it's for RI 2 north.

RI Dot will either need to change an exit number on I-95 again or have the exits to RI 4 "not match" in each direction.  Not sure why the exit for Rte. 4 wasn't "exit 25" to begin with.

[The Ghostbuster]

Due to the RI 2 interchange on Interstate 95, and the RI 401 interchange on RI 4 being so close to the Interstate 95/RI 4 junction, it will be tricky turning the interchange from a half interchange into a full interchange. I think a full interchange that this location should have been done long ago, but better late than never.