Starting tonight, Wednesday, August 10, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will begin milling and paving badly deteriorated sections of Route 146 in North Smithfield and Lincoln.
The work will be done in two phases, the first focusing on Route 146 in both directions from Route 99 in Lincoln to Route 146A (Eddie Dowling Highway) in North Smithfield. It will be done during overnight hours when traffic volumes are low. Drivers can expect lane closures and rough and uneven driving surfaces. RIDOT expects to complete this first phase by the end of August.
The second phase includes milling and paving Route 146 South, from Central Street to Route 146A in North Smithfield. It will be finished done by the end of September.
The paving is part of the $196 million Route 146 Reconstruction Project and is meant to address the worst sections of the highway to provide an improved driving surface through the life of the project. By the end of the project, the entire highway from I-295 to the Massachusetts state line will have been repaved.
The pavement mixes RIDOT uses today are far more durable and include additives that significantly extend the service life of the new pavement. In addition to providing a smoother riding surface, the more durable pavement also reduces the need for future pavement projects saving millions of dollars and reducing construction time which helps reduce greenhouse gases.
The project will make greatly needed improvements to the Route 146 corridor, making it safer and reducing congestion and vehicle emissions. In 2020, Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation secured a $65 million federal INFRA grant – the largest the state ever received – to allow the Department to properly address all the concerns with Route 146 with a single project.
The project will replace or repair five bridges, repave 8 miles of roadway and build a flyover bridge to carry Route 146 over Sayles Hill Road – eliminating the traffic signal at Sayles Hill Road, the only traffic light on all of Route 146. This intersection averages more than 85 crashes per year and is a source of significant congestion and travel delay.
More than 171,000 vehicles travel Route 146 between Providence and Worcester each day. The project will be done in spring 2026.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
This resurfacing project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.