The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will start construction on the Oxford Street Bridge, which carries I-95 North and South over Oxford Street, just north of Thurbers Avenue in Providence, on April 8. This will require a temporary traffic pattern change for I-95 North only, with all lanes shifted to the left. There will also be a “yield” sign placed at the Thurbers Avenue on-ramp which may cause congestion on the ramp.
Other traffic pattern changes will take place during the summer as RIDOT replaces the bridge’s superstructure and performs other major rehabilitation tasks as part of a $10.8 million project. RIDOT scheduled construction for summer to take advantage of reduced traffic in the area.
This section of I-95 already is subject to daily congestion and travel delays. No lanes will be closed, but the introduction of a new traffic pattern coupled with an existing short merge for on-ramp traffic from Thurbers Avenue and Allens Avenue may cause additional delays during rush hour periods.
Motorists using the Thurbers Avenue/Allens Avenue on-ramp, particularly commercial truck traffic in and around the Port of Providence area, may wish to use alternate routes or avoid travel during the busiest times, which are typically 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays.
RIDOT will use accelerated bridge construction methods to rebuild this bridge and reduce the impact of construction on motorists. The Department will deploy pre-manufactured Northeast Extreme Tee (NEXT) beam components – a concrete deck/beam combination that is installed side-by-side to rapidly create a new bridge deck. This new technology will allow RIDOT to complete all phases involving traffic pattern changes by this fall, shaving several months off the construction schedule.
For more I-95 travel info, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to I-95, America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida! Plus I-95 construction, real-time traffic and road news.
Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide , and I-75 Exit Guide.
