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:
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Our new traffic pattern is in place. This past weekend, we opened a second lane at the beginning of the service road where it exits from I-95 North, just after the Downtown exit. The far-left lane continues on I-95 as an express lane only, with the right lane as an exit only lane to the service road. The center lane is now an option lane, meaning travelers can choose to use it as an express lane or as an exit onto the service road as a second exit lane. Next week, bridge demolition will require the closures of the on-ramps from Memorial Boulevard and Route 10 North to I-95 North, Sunday-Thursday nights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., and Providence Place, from Harris Avenue to Park Street, and Promenade Street, from Park Street to Holden Street, Sunday-Thursday nights from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Please follow signed detours. Motorists can also expect alternating lane closures or short-term rolling roadblocks for overhead sign installation on I-95 North, from Exit 36B (Point Street) to Exit 39A (Branch Avenue), Sunday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. |
| Click here for the latest lane closure information |