NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will open a new ramp from Route 146A South to Route 146 North on Thursday, July 24, the latest step forward in the massive highway rehabilitation project.
Exit 10 for Route 146A will close starting at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23 to set up the new traffic pattern, according to a release from RIDOT.
“Effective Thursday morning, July 24, at 6 a.m., motorists will encounter a shift to the right in travel lanes on Route 146 North, close to its intersection with Route 146A,” the agency notes.
RIDOT notes the change will mark the final shift for northbound traffic at the bridge, which is being built as part of the larger Route 146 project. At the same time the traffic lanes are shifted, RIDOT will open the new ramp it has built to provide connection from Route 146A South to Route 146 North.
“This ramp provides a more direct and safer connection between these two roads compared to the old configuration,” notes the release.
RIDOT’s ongoing Route 146 project began in 2022 and has an estimated cost of $196 million. It includes replacement of multiple bridges, repaving of eight miles of roadway and elimination of congestion at the intersection of Sayles Hill Road and Route 146 with the construction of the new flyover bridge. Approximately 171,000 vehicles use Route 146 daily.
Construction is expected to be complete in 2026.
RIDOT noted that all construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
When it snows this winter where will they put the snow on the narrow bridge.
What are all the road excavating across the 146 rout, the cut the road ever 15 feet. Just curiosity.
At last ! However $$$ 196 million, WHOA…. Someone’s making BIG bucks !!! I COULD SHOW YOU A VERY SOLID BRIDGE IN WOONSOCKET THAT HAS LASTED MORE THAN A CENTURY !!!…..
Stone has been proven over the decades to be far better than steel & concrete. Examples are the South Main St bridge over the river. The base of the Court street bridge & Rail Road bridges. Not to mention the Roman Aqueducts in Italy.
They cost 10x to construct and maintain and cannot withstand the required loads.
Not sure that 10 times more to build is accurate. I agree the cost is higher. But more to maintain? Can’t withstand the loads? How so? Woonsocket’s stone arch bridge by the waterfall seems to be doing just fine. So are the bottoms on the Court St & railroad bridges keep on doing their job without fixes. How is the stone on NYC’s George Washington bridge?
Those go over water, not another highway. Also, I don’t know about the GWB but the bridge on south main street was given a condition of poor during an inspection in 2013 and there hasn’t been any major maintenance done since, due to the expense of maintaining stone bridges more than likely.