The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today announced the second in a series of weekend Interstate lane restrictions and bridge closures associated with the replacement of the Pawtucket Avenue Bridge over I-195 in East Providence. The next weekend closure begins Friday night, April 14.
At the conclusion of the second weekend closure, there will be a new restrictions in place for I-195 traffic. Effective Monday, April 17, a lane shift will be in place for both directions of travel. Additionally, I-195 East at Exit 7 will be re-striped with one less travel lane continuing on into Massachusetts. There only will be two through lanes and one exit-only lane. The center lane will have the option of exiting or continuing through on I-195 East.
To complete the work as quickly as possible and minimize impact to motorists, pedestrians and area businesses, the Department is using accelerated bridge construction methods to replace it in just four months. Using traditional construction methods, it would have taken two years to complete the work.
To complete the work in the 120-day compressed timeframe, RIDOT must institute a number of traffic pattern changes. Lane restrictions for both the bridge and I-195 will be in place throughout the duration of the project. The most disruptive restrictions take place during the series of eight weekend closures. RIDOT strongly recommends motorists plan ahead, provide extra travel time and consider alternate routes.
Maps of recommended detour routes, including turn-by-turn directions, are posted on RIDOT's website at www.ridot.net/PawtucketAveBridge.
Below is specific closure information for the bridge, I-195 and nearby highway on- and off-ramps:
Pawtucket Avenue Bridge
Weekend Closures: The bridge will be closed to all traffic. The closure details are as follows:
- Bridge closed from 7 p.m. Friday, April 14 through 6 a.m. Monday, April 17.
- Traffic on Pawtucket Avenue will be directed to follow a signed detour using Grosvenor Avenue, Broadway and Warren Avenue
- The I-195 West on-ramp, located just north of the bridge, will be closed
- Pedestrian access may be limited, but flaggers will be present to aid anyone needing to walk across the bridge
Duration of Project: RIDOT will close the western side of the bridge and establish two-way traffic on the other side. The closure details are as follows:
- A reduction in the number of travel lanes from four to two
- Left turns from Pawtucket Avenue northbound to I-195 West on-ramp, located just north of the bridge, are not permitted (follow signed detour using Warren Avenue)
- Two-way traffic maintained during peak travel periods; overnight lane closures and detours are possible
I-195 East and West Weekend Closures: Lane closures and lane shifts will be needed. The closure details are as follows:
- I-195 reduced from three travel lanes to two in each direction from 7 p.m. Friday, April 14 through 6 a.m. Monday, April 17
- Auxiliary lanes in both directions for on- and off-ramp traffic will be closed
- All traffic will shift onto I-195 eastbound travel lanes to allow for safe demolition of the bridge over westbound lane
Duration of Project: Lane closures and lane shifts will be needed. The closure details are as follows:
- All lanes will shift to the right effective Monday, April 17
- The right lane will become an exit-only lane on I-195 East at Exit 7 effective Monday, April 17. There will be only two through lanes on this part of the highway
- Another lane shift planned for late Spring I-195 Ramps
Weekend Closures: Merging distances will be reduced for traffic exiting and entering the highway just east of the bridge. The closure details are as follows:
- The East Shore Expressway on-ramp will be reduced from two lanes to one
- With auxiliary lanes closed on the highway, traffic entering I-195 West from the East Shore Expressway will have to stop and yield before entering the highway
- The exit for East Shore Expressway from I-195 East (Exit 7), located immediately after the work zone, will remain open for vehicles in the right travel lane
Duration of Project: Lane closures and lane shifts will be needed. The closure details are as follows:
- Today there are two lanes for the East Shore Expressway/Route 114 to Barrington on I-195 East at Exit 7. The far right lane will be closed effective Monday, April 17
- The highway will be restriped to include two through lanes and one exit-only lane at Exit 7. The center lane will have the option of exiting or continuing through on I-195 East
Weekend closures will be scheduled back-to-back into the summer. The next set of weekend closures is currently scheduled to take place in early May. Additional closures are scheduled to take place in early June and early July. All weekend closures will follow the same schedule (7 p.m. Friday - 6 a.m. Monday). RIDOT has established steep fines in its contract language to prevent the closures from extending into the morning commuting hours each Monday. Additionally, there is a $20,000 per day incentive/disincentive provision to encourage the contractor to reduce the overall closure time or to assess a penalty beyond the 120-day period.
Originally built in 1959, the Pawtucket Avenue Bridge is located between Warren Avenue and Grosvenor Avenue and carries 23,000 vehicles per day. It is one of the most heavily traveled bridges in East Providence.
The replacement of the Pawtucket Avenue Bridge is made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT's ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island's transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and create jobs. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.
All dates and times are weather-dependent and subject to change. To sign up for weekly updates on this or other RIDOT projects around the state, contact help@ridot.net. Visit www.dot.ri.gov or follow RIDOTnews on Facebook or Twitter for timely information on construction projects and traffic conditions.
