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.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Will definitely be a tight fit. With lots of truck traffic, they'll need to have long scccel/decel lanes on both RI-4 and I-95.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Does anyone know if the ramp changes on RI-138 and US-1 (Tower Hill Road)are permanent, or just temporary?the more loop ramps can be eliminated or converted, the better.

[Ted$8roadFan]

An update on construction on I-95 through Downtown Providence.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ridot-to-open-additional-lanes-at-i-95-providence-viaduct-this-weekend/ar-AA1FEqmw

[shadyjay]

Does anyone know if the ramp changes on RI-138 and US-1 (Tower Hill Road)are permanent, or just temporary?the more loop ramps can be eliminated or converted, the better.

So did they take the RI 138 West to US 1 South ramp and have it utilize the ramp to the left that would've been the RI 138 East to US 1 South ramp had RI 138 expressway been extended west of US 1?  If that's the case, I would hope this would be permanent, as it eliminates conflicting moves with traffic on RI 138 West entering US 1 South as traffic is trying to get from US 1 South to RI 138 East. 

Conflicting moves like this should be eliminated if/when possible.  There's one on I-95 in CT at Exit 38 but unfortunately no easy solution as the roads continue in all 4 directions.  There used to be one on I-84 West in Cheshire (Exit 26) that was solved with the relocation of the on and off ramps to not conflict.

[Ted$8roadFan]

After looking at RIDOT's website, I think the changes are going to be permanent. Ramp F, the existing loop ramp from RI-138W to US-1 S is going to be replaced with a Ramp C, which appears to be the newly constructed left ramp. I don't think it's opened as of yet. Since most traffic is going from US-1S to RI-138 East, it looks to be an improvement.

[Ted$8roadFan]

An update: it appears that the old loop ramp from RI-138 W to US-1 S in North Kingstown has been closed, and the left new alignment has been activated.