Work will begin in 2022 on a $196 million project that will make much-needed improvements along the Route 146 corridor, replacing multiple bridges, repaving 8 miles of roadway and correcting numerous safety and congestion problems. More than 171,000 vehicles travel Route 146 between Providence and Worcester each day.
The project includes the removal of the traffic signal where Route 146 meets Sayles Hill Road and construction of a bridge so the highway can pass freely over Sayles Hill Road. This intersection averages more than 85 crashes per year and is a source of significant congestion and travel delay. It is the only signalized intersection on the entire Route 146 highway corridor in Rhode Island.
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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Last night, we shifted traffic on Route 146 South to provide one lane southbound on the new flyover bridge at the Sayles Hill Road intersection. The other southbound lane remains at ground level and the traffic signal has been adjusted to ensure the intersection, which is currently narrowed with lane splits through the end of the year, functions at maximum efficiency. This shift will allow for construction of the final phase of the new flyover which when completed will allow two lanes of traffic in each direction. Next week, road construction will involve the closures of Exit 10 (Route 146A) off Route 146 South, and Route 146A South, from Dowling Village Boulevard to Route 146, Tuesday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., as well as the west side of Sayles Hill Road, from Route 146 to Iron Mine Hill Road, Monday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists can also anticipate alternating lane closures on both directions of Route 146, from Route 116 to Exit 10 (Route 146A), Monday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., and from Exit 10 (Route 146A) to the Massachusetts line, Monday-Saturday (April 26) from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Left turns also will be prohibited from Route 146 North and South at Sayles Hill Road for bridge construction, Monday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please follow signed detours during all closures. |
| Click here for the latest lane closure information |