The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) reminds motorists that it will close Blackstone Street between Allens Avenue and Eddy Street in Providence on Monday, March 26. The road will remain closed until late fall. The west side of Blackstone Street (closest to Eddy Street) will remain open for access to the Women and Infants Breast Health Center and other local traffic only.
The street closure is part of the rehabilitation of the structurally deficient Blackstone Street Bridge which carries I-95 over Blackstone Street near the Rhode Island Hospital campus. RIDOT will replace the superstructure of the Blackstone Street Bridge. Traffic will be detoured to nearby Public Street, and a detour map is available at www.ridot.net/detourmaps.
Traffic pattern changes will be necessary for I-95 in both directions. The first traffic pattern shift is scheduled for next week, and will go into effect on Wednesday, March 28 for I-95 South and on Thursday, March 27 for I-95 North. All traffic will shift to the right for work on the bridge's high-speed lanes.
The lane shifts will be located on I-95 North between Exit 18 (Thurbers Avenue) and Exit 20 (Point Street) and on I-95 South between Exit 19 (Eddy Street) and Exit 18. This temporary traffic pattern will last for three to four months. By mid-summer, RIDOT will implement a divided highway configuration and will shift all traffic to the left in late fall.
During late evening and overnight hours when traffic volumes are at their lowest, RIDOT may close lanes in both directions. No lane closures will occur before 10 p.m.
The bridge work is part of a new multi-bridge project in East Providence and Providence. The $20.7 million I-195 Corridor Bridges project includes work on five structurally deficient bridges.
All schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change.
Also as part of this project, motorists will experience right lane shifts on both directions of I-195 between Exit 4 (Taunton Avenue) and Exit 6 (Broadway) as part of work on highway overpasses in East Providence.
The I-195 Corridor Bridges Project was 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.
