Beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday, August 25, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will begin a series of four consecutive weekend lane closures of I-95 near Route 10/Exit 33 at the Cranston/Providence line for replacement of the Wellington Avenue Bridge. Travelers should expect delays and use alternate routes such as Route 10 and I-295 on these weekends.
Each weekend, lanes will be closed on both sides of the highway as RIDOT demolishes and replaces different parts of this structurally deficient bridge. The closures start each weekend at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays with all lanes open by 5:00 a.m. Monday morning. RIDOT will keep at least two lanes open on the side of the bridge being worked on each weekend.
For brief periods of time, for the week of August 28 for I-95 South and the week of September 11 for I-95 North, there will be a lane split with two lanes on either side of the work zone. Drivers should not stop or suddenly change lanes at the split. This unsafe behavior will cause traffic delays and could lead to a crash. All lanes go through.
The schedule for the bridge replacement and traffic impacts is as follows:
August 25-28: The two left lanes on I-95 South and the left lane on I-95 North will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night, August 25. All lanes reopen by 5:00 a.m. Monday, August 28.
August 28 – September 1: There will be a lane split on I-95 South near Route 10 in Cranston, with two lanes on either side of the split. All lanes go through.
September 1-4: The two right lanes on I-95 South and the left lane on I-95 North will be closed beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday night, September 1. All lanes reopen by 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 4.
September 8-11: The two left lanes on I-95 North and the left lane on I-95 South will be closed beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday night, September 8. All lanes reopen by 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 11.
September 11-15: There will be a lane split on I-95 North near Route 10 in Cranston, with two lanes on either side of the split. All lanes go through.
September 15-18: The two right lanes on I-95 North and the left lane on I-95 South will be closed beginning at 8:00 p.m. Friday night, September 15. All lanes reopen by 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 18.
The bridge replacement operation also requires the closure of Wellington Avenue at the bridge, with a signed detour established for local traffic. The detour will go into effect on Monday, August 21 and be in place for approximately one month.
This rapid approach to bridge replacement saves motorists more than two years of lane closures, shifts and splits. Again, for this brief time, drivers can expect delays, should plan extra time for travel, and consider alternate routes such as Route 10 and I-295.
RIDOT has coordinated with its neighboring states to inform motorists of anticipated construction delays from this bridge work prior to major highway interchanges, including on I-95 South in North Attleboro, Mass. before I-295 and on I-95 North in East Lyme and Waterford, Conn. before I-395.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
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