RIDOT to Open Additional Lanes for Providence Viaduct Northbound Service Road in Providence

At 9 p.m. on Friday, May 16, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will begin work to open additional travel lanes off I-95 North on the northbound Providence Viaduct service road at Exit 38 (Route 146/State Offices) in Providence. The lanes will enable easier access to the service road and provide more room for merging traffic. They will be open by 6 a.m. Saturday, May 17.

The new service road was constructed as part of RIDOT's project to replace the structurally deficient northbound viaduct. The service road was built adjacent to the I-95 North through lanes, and carries traffic entering the highway from Atwells Avenue, Route 6/10, and downtown, as well as traffic taking the Route 146 or State Offices exits. It permits I-95 through lanes to flow freely, allows all merges to take place on the service road, and eliminates chronic congestion associated with entrance and exit ramps that were spaced too closely together.

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

• At 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 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 travel lanes instead of three.

• At Route 146: 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 exit.

• 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.

In preparation for the traffic shift, RIDOT will be paving various areas of the service road. Drivers may encounter milled and uneven surfaces over the next week for this work.

By mid-June, RIDOT is scheduled to begin milling and paving the entire area of the Viaduct, the I-95 express lanes and the service road, with the permanent, final layer of asphalt. This work will take approximately two to three weeks with overnight lane closures required. At the conclusion of this work, all travel lanes will be in their final configuration.

The I-95 North Viaduct carries more than 220,000 vehicles per day over numerous local roads and highway ramps, Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, and the Woonasquatucket River. It is the busiest section of I-95 in Rhode Island and one of the most heavily trafficked highway bridges on the East Coast. In addition to replacing the nearly 1,300-foot long Viaduct, this project, slated for completion in fall 2025, is rebuilding 10 additional bridges, many of which are of critical safety concern. More project information is available at www.ridot.net/ProvidenceViaduct.

All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.

The Providence Viaduct Northbound project is made possible by RhodeWorks. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.net