The next step in the continuing demolition of the old I-195 highway in Providence involves the closure of the Dyer Street/Eddy Street service road, which carries northbound traffic along the west bank of the Providence River. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will be closing this section of road on three consecutive weekends beginning tomorrow, Saturday, July 16, 2011.
The closure is the last in a series of road closures that have occurred since March. Under a $6.8 million Iway demolition contract, RIDOT will demolish more than 3,500 feet of old I-195 and seven bridges. Former Iway contracts demolished an additional 1,500 feet of old highway. Old I-195 was built in the late 1950s and was officially closed in October 2009.
While RIDOT does not expect any more long-term closures associated with demolition, removal of other structures over land and water will continue. The Department anticipates the entire highway demolition project to conclude in late summer.
The service road closure this weekend is scheduled from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday only. The following week, the road will be closed for the entire weekend from 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 23 to 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 24. The final closure (one day only) is scheduled for Saturday, July 30 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. All schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change.
RIDOT is restricting the closures to weekends to minimize the impact to traffic in the Financial and Courthouse districts. Additionally, RIDOT is reopening the road by 4 p.m. tomorrow and again on July 30 to avoid impacting motorists, pedestrians and cyclists coming to WaterFire on both evenings.
Vehicular detours are as follows. Pedestrians should use Dyer Street.
Eddy Street Northbound: Turn left onto Ship Street, then turn right onto Richmond Street. Turn right onto Friendship Street and follow onto Dyer Street/Memorial Boulevard.
Dyer Street Southbound: Turn right onto Ship Street, and then follow directions above to Dyer Street/Memorial Boulevard.
Maps and turn-by-turn directions also are available on RIDOT’s website at www.dot.ri.gov.
Those 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.