The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will be changing the traffic pattern on Route 1 on the Narragansett/South Kingstown line in conjunction with a bridge rehabilitation project. The changes are scheduled to begin tonight and the new pattern will be in effect until the end of this year.
Last fall, RIDOT closed one of the two bridges that carry Route 1 over Route 108 and moved all traffic to the southbound bridge. All traffic shared the southbound bridge with two travel lanes southbound and one northbound. This allowed for the demolition and reconstruction of the northbound bridge. By completely closing one bridge at a time, RIDOT can finish the project in the shortest timeframe possible.
The project will now address the demolition and rehabilitation of the southbound bridge, and RIDOT will move all traffic to the new northbound bridge. The same traffic pattern will remain – two travel lanes southbound and one northbound.
Tonight, RIDOT will move the travel lane for Route 1 northbound to the new bridge. The southbound travel lanes will be relocated by Thursday night. The on-ramp that carried traffic from the corner of Route 108 (Point Judith Road), Woodruff Avenue and South Pier Road to Route 1 North remains closed due to rehabilitation of another bridge.
RIDOT expects to restore traffic patterns on Route 1 by late this fall. Route 1 and Route 108 will remain under construction through Spring 2011.
Related to this work, RIDOT made numerous improvements to the Dillon Rotary and Route 108 to help move traffic through the area safely.
The changes are necessary as part of a $6.6 million project funded entirely by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. All three bridges are more than 45 years old.
RIDOT will closely monitor traffic in the area for congestion issues, particularly during the busy summer beach season. Traffic volumes are heavier for southbound traffic than they are for northbound traffic, and that is why RIDOT is maintaining two southbound travel lanes throughout the duration of the project.
Motorists with questions can contact RIDOT’s Customer Service office at 401-222-2450 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional information will be available on RIDOT’s website (www.dot.ri.gov) and its social media sites on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Blogger.
Contact: Charles St. Martin 401-222-1362 x4007