NORTH SMITHFIELD – A major road construction project that will allow travelers on a busy highway to bypass a traffic signal on a permanent basis is nearly complete, with all vehicles to use a newly built bridge starting next week, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
Starting on Wednesday night, Dec. 17, RIDOT will begin shifting travel lanes on Route 146 so that all traffic will use the new flyover bridge.
Part of a larger $196 million road improvement effort in the highway corridor, construction of the bridge began in 2023 with the goal of eliminating the traffic signal at Sayles Hill Road. The intersection had the only traffic light on all of Route 146 in Rhode Island, and was a source of significant congestion and travel delay. It was also one of the most active crash sites in the state, averaging more than 85 crashes per year.
Two of the four lanes on Route 146 are currently using the bridge and now, RIDOT will transition the remaining two to the bridge over two nights. All northbound traffic will be using the new bridge effective Wednesday evening, and all southbound traffic will be using the bridge as of the following night, on Thursday, Dec. 18.
“With the movement of all traffic to the flyover bridge, drivers can use the service roads on each side of the highway to access Sayles Hill Road and local businesses,” noted RIDOT in a release on the news.
The agency noted that new signals with pedestrian crossing features are also now in place at the service roads and Sayles Hill Road.
In addition to the flyover, the project includes building new frontage roads at the Sayles Hill Road intersection, replacing multiple bridges, completely reconstructing the Route 146/Route 146A interchange, removing dangerous U-turns, paving 8 miles of road, and adding bus-on-shoulder accommodations along the southern end of Route 146 in North Providence and Providence.
RIDOT secured a $65 million USDOT INFRA Grant to help fund the project in 2020 thanks to Rhode Island’s congressional delegation. The busy highway corridor is used by approximately 171,000 vehicles per day.
Final completion of the entire project is expected in summer 2026, but RIDOT notes that all construction is subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.
It is a state-run project with local contractors. It is a RIDOT project, and the majority of the work is performed by Lynch.
But whatever fits your narrative, dude.
Can you all imagine if this was a state-run project with local contractors in charge? It would have taken 10 years to complete. Thankfully Skanska, a Swedish company. won the bid and will complete this flyover in a about 2 years tops. It took the state 4 years to complete a simple 2 lane bridge at the Forestdale/146 exit. RI people could learn a thing or two about how things should be done. But unfortunately, they won’t.
The school street bridge over 146 was completed on-time from what I remember.
Or how about that bridge at Twin River Rd over 146. Feels like they’ve been rebuilding that for years.
Someone is going to get killed coming out of Old Smithfield Rd onto 146A. Those 2 big silver boxes on the corner block the view of traffic coming from 146. Very dangerous, bad position for them. They need to be moved before a tragedy not after!
Drove by there this morning and you can clearly see traffic coming from 146. Or you could always wait for the light to turn green before proceeding if you are that concerned about the potential for tragedy.