The Route 146 project, designed to eliminate one of the most active crash sites in Rhode Island, has made great strides since work first started in 2022. In April of this year, RIDOT completed the construction of one lane southbound on the new flyover bridge at the Sayles Hill Road intersection providing one lane in each direction on the flyover. For now, the other southbound travel lane remains at ground level but eventually two lanes in each direction will be able to bypass the traffic signal.
The traffic signal at Sayles Hill Road has been adjusted to ensure that the intersection functions at maximum efficiency.
The Route 146 Improvement Project will replace multiple bridges, repave 8 miles of road and eliminate congestion at the intersection of Sayles Hill Road and Route 146. Approximately 171,000 vehicles use Route 146 daily.
Thanks to the efforts of Rhode Island's Congressional delegation, RIDOT secured a $65 million USDOT INFRA Grant to help fund the project. Learn more: 2020 INFRA Grant Application Narrative: Route 146 Improvements
Route 146 a critical transportation route that has gone unimproved for far too long. Other highlights of the project include:
| Estimated Travel Times |
| Safety and Congestion Improvements Map |
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The weekend of November 7, we have some lane and temporary ramp closures. Starting Friday night, November 7, at 8 p.m. through Monday morning, November 10 at 5 a.m., we will close one of the two lanes on Route 146 South at the Route 146A interchange. Doing so will allow us to finalize construction to shift Route 146 traffic onto a new, wider bridge we have been building. Also on Friday night, November 7, for about six weeks, we will close a temporary left-hand ramp from Route 146 South to Route 146A North. It will be replaced with a more conventional design on the right-hand side of the highway. Next week, as we continue to build new roadway infrastructure at this project, expect alternating lane closures on both directions of Route 146, from Exit 7 (Route 116) to the Massachusetts line, Sunday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Road construction also involves the closures of the Route 146 North Service Road, from Sayles Hill Road to the Route 146 merge, the west side of Sayles Hill Road, from Route 146 to Iron Mine Hill Road, and the east side of Sayles Hill Road, from Route 99 to Route 146 (with westbound traffic from Route 99 to Sayles Hill Road prohibited) Sunday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please follow signed detours during all closures and check out our Weekly Traffic Forecast for more information on what we have scheduled. |
| Click here for the latest lane closure information |