On Friday night, April 16 at 9 p.m., the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is scheduled to close Exit 1A (I-295 South) off Route 37 West in Cranston. The exit closure, expected to last throughout the weekend, is necessary to complete the next phase of the ongoing safety improvements at Route 37 West close to its intersection with Natick Avenue.
Over the weekend, crews will demolish and remove the existing pavement from the closed ramp, install new drainage, regrade and then repave the ramp. Once the new pavement is installed and the ramp is safe for travel, it will reopen to traffic prior to the morning commute on Monday, April 19 at 6 a.m.
During the ramp closure, police details will direct motorists on Route 37 West to make a U-turn at the Natick Avenue traffic signal onto Route 37 East and back on to I-295 South. A detour map is available at www.ridot.net/DetourMaps.
The project addresses safety concerns at the end of Route 37 West where it meets a traffic signal at Natick Avenue. This location has had a high number of crashes, most of them from people failing to reduce their speed and stop at the end of the highway. RIDOT is making a number of changes, including reconstructing a new section of Route 37 West with slight curves to encourage drivers to slow down as they approach the end of the highway.
Another part of this project is the construction of a new off-ramp from I-295 South to Route 37 West which will have a slight curve that will help reduce speeds on the ramp. RIDOT expects to shift traffic onto this new ramp on Friday, April 23.
This $3 million safety improvement project is slated for completion in summer 2021.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
The safety improvements on Route 37 West are 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.