RIDOT Beginning Repairs on Providence Area Interstate Bridges

Initial phase of work to focus on I-195 and involve highway lane splits

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has started a project to perform
preventive maintenance on Providence area Interstate bridges. The work will be
completed
in phases, affecting three separate areas on I-195, I-95 and the Clifford Street
Bridge over the next several months.
The project begins on both directions of I-195 in Providence, just east of the
Providence
River Bridge near Exit 2 (India Street/South Main Street). During this work, all
lanes of travel will be maintained during daytime and peak travel periods. However,
RIDOT will need to implement lane shifts with divided highway traffic patterns.
Overnight lane and off-ramp closures are possible.
Currently on I-195 traffic lanes are shifted to the left with barrier set in place
along the right shoulder to provide a safe work zone for work on bride joints. Each
step of this 5-stage process will take approximately two to three weeks, with RIDOT
replacing bridge joints across all lanes of travel.
As work progresses from one stage of construction to the next, new traffic patterns
will be established with traffic flowing on either side of a divided highway. The
same pattern was used for phased construction on the Providence Viaduct project
last fall. It is important to note that all lanes are through traffic lanes that
continue onto I-195.
The anticipated schedule for each stage of the I-195 bridge joint work is as follows:

Stage 1. (Now – Late April): All lanes shift to the left and the right shoulder
is closed in both directions.

Stage 4. (Late May – Early June): A divided highway with one lane to the left and
three lanes to the right.

Stage 2. (Early May – Mid-May): A divided highway with three lanes to the left and
one lane to the right.

Stage 5. (Early June – Mid June): All lanes shift to the right and the left shoulder
will be closed in both directions.

Stage 3. (Mid-May – Late May): A divided highway with two lanes to the left and
two lanes to the right.

Drivers should proceed with caution through the work zone without stopping. The
temporary traffic patterns on I-195 East will result in some restrictions for traffic
seeking to take Exit 2 (India Street). Drivers traveling from I-95 North to I-195
East must use the far right lane for that exit. Those driving from I-95 South to
I-195 East will not have access to Exit 2. A signed detour will be established
using Exit 5 to reverse direction to I-195 West, then to Exit 3 (Gano Street).
In late June following the conclusion of the work on I-195, RIDOT will repair bridge
joints on the Clifford Street Bridge. This structure, which spans I-95 between West
Franklin Street and East Franklin Street, will be closed on weekends over a one
month period. Overnight closures of the nearby ramp from Point Street to I-95 North
also are possible.
The final location for bridge maintenance is the ramp from I-195 West to I-95 South.
This two-lane ramp will be restricted to one lane over two weekend closure periods
later in the summer.
The entire $3.2 million Providence Area Bridges Project is on time and on budget,
and is scheduled for final completion by the end of 2017.
The Providence Area Bridges Project is made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s ongoing
commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island’s
transportation
infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and create
jobs.