Connecting Route 95 north to Route 4 South and Route 4 North to Route 95 South has been a long-term goal for RIDOT and the people of Rhode Island. Ever since Route 4, a 5.4 mile freeway linking Route 102 to the I-95 merge, was built in 1965, travelers have been clamoring for what is known as “the missing move.” Route 4 carries 63,000 daily. That time has come.
Starting this year, RIDOT, with help from an $81 million Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG), will break ground on this $144 million project. Spanning three towns in central Rhode Island, this project has two components – one creates the missing move and the second serves the burgeoning economic growth center of Quonset Point.
Component 1 will create two critical roadways. The first is a new bridge overpass to link Route 4 north to I-95 south. The second will use an existing right-of-way for an at-grade link between I-95 north and Route 4 south.
The second component builds three ramps on Route 403 in North Kingstown to connect the Quonset Business Park (QBP) to its west Davisville district via a limited-access highway. The new ramps will give heavy trucks and other freight traffic freeway access without using local roads. Part two will also construct a roundabout south of Route 403 at Compass Circle. All of these elements will help traffic move in and around QBP.
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As we continue to remove bedrock within the pathway of the new ramp we will build between I-95 North and Route 4 South, blasting operations have resulted in minimal traffic impacts. Next week, motorists can expect the temporary weekday closures of Route 4 South at its ramp from I-95 South (Exit 24B) Tuesday-Friday between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for about 10 minutes per day. During this blasting all lanes on I-95 South remain open to traffic. While originally estimated to result in backups to Cowesett Road for about 20 minutes each day, actual traffic impacts have been significantly less. Still, please plan extra time for travel or seek alternate routes. Other construction activities next week at this project include temporary barrier installation, requiring a right lane closure on Route 1 (Post Road) South in the vicinity of Route 403, Sunday night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., traffic signal improvements, with alternating lane closures on Route 2 (Quaker Lane) in the vicinity of I-95, and roadway improvements with alternating one-way traffic at the intersection of Compass Circle and Industrial Drive, Sunday-Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Alternating lane closures are also scheduled along Route 1 (Post Road) North and South, from Devil's Foot Road to Route 403, as we shift all lanes to the east and create a temporary pedestrian sidewalk along the southbound right shoulder on Friday night, April 17 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., to create a work zone for construction of a new on-ramp from Post Road to Route 403 West. |
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