The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) has announced weekend lane closures on I-95 in Providence for bridge work. The closures will occur over two weekends, November 7-10 and November 14-17, affecting two lanes in both directions. This is part of the decommissioning process for a bridge over an inactive rail line between Cadillac Drive and the Roger Williams Park Zoo.
The closures will begin at 8 p.m. each Friday and all lanes are expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Monday morning. For northbound traffic, the closure starts after the Route 10 interchange, while southbound traffic will see closures starting after the Thurbers Avenue interchange. No exits or on-ramps will be impacted.
RIDOT advises drivers to anticipate delays and suggests using alternate routes such as Route 10 and I-295 during these weekends. A lane split is planned for November 10-14, with two lanes open on either side of the work zone. Drivers are urged not to stop or change lanes suddenly at this split to avoid causing accidents.
Past similar operations by RIDOT have led to congestion, as seen with the Elmwood Avenue Bridge replacement last fall and Wellington Avenue Bridge in 2023. The current project involves filling in an opening under the highway instead of constructing a new bridge, which saves costs since the old rail right-of-way is unused.
The bridge, known as the Narragansett Electric Siding Bridge, was structurally deficient and carries approximately 135,300 vehicles daily. This initiative is part of RIDOT’s broader I-95 15 Bridges project aimed at addressing bridges in poor condition along I-95 and Route 10 between Providence and Warwick.
This effort is supported by RhodeWorks and funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [5artinnab.cc.rs6.net]. RIDOT remains focused on improving Rhode Island’s infrastructure while being mindful of environmental considerations.
For more information about this project, visit www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
Information from this article can be found here.
