NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN BEGINS JUNE 6 | LEARN MORE

Providence I-95 Viaduct Northbound

  • RIDOT I-95 North Viaduct Project
    Realignment of Route 146 and I-95 Collector Distributor
  • RIDOT I-95 North Viaduct Project
    I-95 Providence Viaduct Looking North
  • RIDOT I-95 North Viaduct Project
    I-95 Providence Viaduct on-ramps heading North

The Project

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.

Project Schedule & Cost

  • Location: Providence
  • Start Construction: 2020
  • Finish Construction: 2025
  • Total Projected Cost: $265 Million
  • Detours Needed: Not at This Time

ADDITIONAL LANES OPENING JUNE 6

PROVIDENCE VIADUCT NORTHBOUND SERVICE ROAD

Read the Latest Press Release

Highlights of the traffic improvements on the northbound service road include:

  • At the Broadway Off-Ramp (Exit 37A): The far-right lane will be modified from an exit-only lane to an option lane so drivers can use the right lane to take the exit or continue straight on I-95 North towards the Downtown/Route 6/10 Exit.  At this point there will be five through travel lanes instead of four.
  • At the Downtown/Route 6/10 Off-Ramp (Exits 37B-D): An additional lane will be provided here so drivers taking the off-ramp will have two lanes instead of one on the exit.
  • At the Atwells Avenue Merge: An additional lane will be provided here so traffic coming onto the service road from Atwells Avenue will have its own lane over the bridge. At this point there will be three travel lanes instead of two.
  • At the Route 6/10 & Downtown Merge: An additional lane will be open here; traffic coming onto the service road from Route 6/10 or downtown Providence will have its own lane. At this point there will be four lanes instead of three.
  • At Route 146 (Exit 38A): There will be two lanes to the left for traffic to Route 146 and two lanes to the right for traffic to I-95 North. The right lane should be used for anyone wishing to take the State Offices off-ramp (Exit 38B).
  • On the ramp to I-95 North: RIDOT will move the merge from two lanes to one lane several hundred feet to the north of its current location. This will make it easier for traffic to merge before joining I-95.

I-95 Viaduct Northbound - New Traffic Pattern

Other Project Highlights

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:

  • Replacement of the Smith Street Bridge
  • Replacement of the Route 146 Bridge over I-95
  • Building new retaining walls alongside I-95 and Park Street
  • Rebuilding the Atwells Avenue on-ramp to I-95 North
  • Rebuilding the ramp from the Route 6/10 Connector to I-95 North
  • Rebuilding the ramp from Memorial Boulevard to I-95 North

PROJECT UPDATES | JUNE, 2025

Motorists have welcomed the additional lanes on I-95 North and the northbound Providence Viaduct service road at Exit 38 that we opened last weekend and this week. Next week we plan to pave and raise the drainage structures to grade, with alternating lane closures on I-95, from Exit 36B to Exit 39A, Sunday-Wednesday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. These operations may also involve temporary ramp closures along I-95 at the Exit 37 interchange, Sunday-Wednesday nights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please follow signed detours during all closures.

Click here for the latest lane closure information