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This project will replace the 1,295-foot long northbound section of the Providence Viaduct Bridge which carries I-95 over numerous local roads and highway ramps, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the Woonasquatucket River. This section of I-95 carries more than 220,000 vehicles per day. It is the busiest section of I-95 in Rhode Island and one of the most heavily trafficked highway bridges on the East Coast.
Construction of the Viaduct Northbound is thanks in large part to the efforts of Rhode Island's Congressional delegation, which secured a $60.3 million federal INFRA grant for the project. Our project includes the construction of a new collector-distributor (C-D) road along the right side of the Interstate. This eliminates the weaving conflicts and congestion that plague the segment of I-95 Northbound from the 6/10 Connector and Downtown on-ramps to the Route 146/State Offices interchange.
We also will reconfigure ramps to disentangle conflicting movements, improving motorist safety and comfort, and reducing congestion and delay. The new ramp system will provide more efficient connections among I-95, the 6/10 Connector, and Route 146. This new configuration will vastly improve the crippling congestion caused by traffic trying to access I-95 northbound from the 6/10 Connector and by traffic trying to exit I-95 to access Route 146 or the state offices.
An earlier design for Providence Viaduct Northbound called for reusing the bridge during construction but the winning proposal by Skanska/Manafort presented a solution that saved a year of time and approximately $1 million.
A summary of the changes is as follows:
We are not only replacing the Viaduct, but will rebuild 11 bridges in total, many of which are of critical safety concern and will correct the inefficiencies, congestion and safety issues that exist today. Among them:
We’re instituting a new traffic pattern along I-95 North in the vicinity of Exit 38 (Route 146 and the State Offices) tonight. To do so, we need to first close Exit 38B (State Offices) off I-95 North to pave it. Motorists should use the Branch Avenue exit (Exit 39A) and follow the detour signs tonight starting at 10 p.m. through 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. We also need to close the on-ramps from Route 6 East and Memorial Boulevard to I-95 North, plus lanes along I-95 North, between the Broadway and Branch Avenue exits. Motorists should anticipate the changes to take place tonight and tomorrow night, May 3 and 4, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. By Sunday morning, May 5, we’ll shift all lanes on the Exit 38 Service Road to the right. Next week, we’re closing Exit 37 B/C/D, off I-95 North for pier repairs, Sunday-Thursday nights from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Follow signed detour. We’ll also have alternating lane closures to install median barrier on I-95, from Exit 37A to Exit 39A, Sunday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
Click here for the latest lane closure information |