The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is reminding motorists of traffic changes taking place this week in Providence as part of the Iway project. This is the first of many changes this fall regarding the opening of new roads, bridges and on- and off-ramps.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 13, 2010, RIDOT will open a new bridge spanning I-95 in the area of Friendship Street. The new Clifford Street Bridge will carry one-way traffic westbound, and help improve travel through the city with another crossing over the I-95 corridor.
At the same time the new Clifford Street Bridge opens, RIDOT will be changing the traffic pattern on the nearby Point Street overpass from two-way travel to one-way eastbound toward Davol Square. Both bridges connect to service roads that run parallel to I-95. The southbound service road is known as Service Road No. 7 and the northbound service road is called Service Road No. 8. These will be renamed and signed as West Franklin Street and East Franklin Street, respectively.
Both service roads and the Clifford Street Bridge and Point Street overpass will function as a circulator for traffic entering and exiting I-95 as well for east-west movements between the West End, South Providence and R.I. hospitals area and the Jewelry District and Downcity areas.
In conjunction with the opening of the Clifford Street Bridge tomorrow, RIDOT will open a new ramp from Point Street to I-95 North. Last year RIDOT opened a ramp from I-95 North to Point Street and later this year the final ramp in this area, Point Street to I-95 South, is scheduled to open.
All schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change.
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