Our $21.3 million project for the Kingston Road Bridge includes a number of safety improvements in addition to replacing a nearly 70-year-old bridge that was only one rating point away from being classified as structurally deficient.
The bridge carries 51,300 vehicles per day and is located at the Exit 3 interchange in Richmond. It provides access to and from Route 138, an important connection to much of southern Rhode Island, and a direct link to the University of Rhode Island, Newport and much of South County.
The old interchange included sharply curved off-ramps and tight weaves for traffic getting on and off the highway because the exiting ramps were placed too close to one another. Traffic will use a single exit instead of two, ramps have been reconfigured, and new traffic signals were installed where the ramps meet Route 138 to accommodate all turns to and from I-95.
From 2015-2019, there were 148 crashes at the interchange including one fatality and 28 involving injuries. The alignment and geometry of the new ramps will reduce the number of crashes and make the interchange safer.
The entire project is scheduled for completion in spring 2022.
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Next week, overnight right lane closures are planned along I-95 so we can continue to pave the widened acceleration lanes from Route 138 to I-95. Weekdays within the existing traffic patterns on both I-95 and Route 138, we plan to install formwork and rebar, drainage, highway lighting, granite curbing and landscaping at the bridge. |
| Click here for the latest lane closure information |
