Interstate 95 in Rhode Island

This article is about the section of Interstate 95 in Rhode Island. For the entire route, see Interstate 95.
"Route 84 (Rhode Island)" redirects here. For the once-planned interstate highway with the same route designation, see Interstate 84 (Rhode Island).

Interstate 95 marker

Interstate 95
Route information
Maintained by RIDOT
Length: 43.3 mi[1] (69.7 km)
Existed: 1957 – present
Major junctions
South end: I-95 in North Stonington, CT
 

Route 4 in Warwick
I295 in Warwick
Route 37 in Warwick
Route 10 in Cranston
US 1 in Providence
I195 / US 6 in Providence

Route 146 in Providence
North end: I95 in Attleboro, MA
Location
Counties: Washington, Kent, Providence
Highway system

Rhode Island Routes

Route 94I95E

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main northsouth Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, running generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly, through Warwick and Providence, and to the Massachusetts state line in Pawtucket. It has two auxiliary routes, both of which enter MassachusettsInterstate 195: a spur from Providence east to Cape Cod, and Interstate 295, a western bypass of the Providence-Pawtucket area.

South of Warwick, I-95 does not follow U.S. Route 1, which it generally replaced in New England. It instead takes a shorter inland route, parallel to Route 3. Route 3 was designated Route 1A in 1922, a New England Interstate Route, but it has never been a U.S. Route.

History

Southern Rhode Island

Junction with Route 37 in Warwick

The diagonal corridor of Route 3 was a well-traveled shortcut to the older U.S. Route 1 even before any part of Interstate 95 was built. In the 1930s, a further cutoff was built in southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island, joining Old Mystic, Connecticut to Route 3 in Hopkinton, Rhode Island. The existing Route 84 in Connecticut was rerouted to use the new road (now Route 184), and the short piece in Rhode Island was also numbered Route 84.[2] (This alignment had been the Hopkinton and Richmond Turnpike - better known as the New London Turnpike - but had fallen into disrepair.) The right of way of New London turnpike goes though the Big river management area (as a dirt road), crosses division road as a four-way intersection with the North side of the turnpike paved, has an interchange with Interstate 95 (exit 7), continues for 1.85 miles before connecting with Route 3 in West Warwick for a ¼ mile. New London Turnpike turns into New London Ave and continues straight for 2¼ miles before connecting with Providence street (RI-33). It follows Providence Street until it hits the Meshanticut Interchange.

The first section of what is now I-95 was planned as an upgrade and relocation of Route 84 and Route 3 from the state line north of Westerly to existing Route 3 of Richmond. The short Route 84 was widened to a four-lane divided road with one intersection at Gray Lane. Instead of merging with Route 3, it was modified to continue northeast, passing under Route 3 with a folded diamond interchange (modern day exit 1). The rest of the new road was designated Route 3 once it was completed on December 12, 1955. It was not built to freeway standards, only having interchanges at Route 3 in Hopkinton and Route 138 in Richmond (a cloverleaf) (modern day exit 3), as well as a bridge over the Wood River and Mechanic Street.[3][4]

A section of freeway (known as the Kent County Freeway) opened in July 1958, running from Route 3 at Kitts Corner northeast across the Big River (modern day exit 6) and east across Route 3 to Route 2 on the West Warwick-Warwick line (modern day exit 8). Its west end was a simple intersection with old Route 3, in which only northbound traffic could continue on the old road — southbound traffic had to enter the new freeway east of the Big River. The only two interchanges were with Route 3 east of the Big River (a diamond interchange) and with Route 2 at its east end (a four-ramp interchange providing half the ramps of a cloverleaf).[4][5]

The Interstate 95 designation was approved on June 27, 1958.[6] The section in southern Rhode Island was temporarily designated Route 95 until it could be upgraded to a freeway. This route ran from the Connecticut state line along what had been Route 84, continuing along the Relocated Route 3 to north of Richmond, along normal Route 3 to Kitts Corner, and along the new freeway east to Route 2. As much as possible, Route 3 was moved back to the old road; it only used the new freeway by necessity in the area near Kitts Corner and over the Big River.[7] Connecticut also renumbered their section of Route 84 to Route 95 at that time.[2]

Interstate 95 in Connecticut was finished December 12, 1964 to the Rhode Island state line, where it connected to the older Route 95 divided highway.[8] The old road from the border to Gray Lane was combined with the frontage road built when Route 84 was upgraded to form what is now known as Extension 184. The portion from the Connecticut state line to Route 3 north of Richmond was upgraded to a freeway with construction ending May 1968.[5] To the north, that freeway was connected with the Kent County Freeway by a new section, opened November 22, 1969 as the last section of I-95 in Rhode Island.[3] The connection to Route 3 at Kitts Corner was removed, and Route 3 was moved back to the old road over the Big River. Route 95 was renumbered Interstate 95, as the whole road was now a freeway.

An interchange with the New London Turnpike was added to the Kent County Freeway by 1972.[4] In 1983, a new interchange with Hopkins Hill Road opened.[3]

Pawtucket area

The people of Pawtucket feared the construction of I-95 as early as 1949. Editions of the Pawtucket Times and Providence Journal in 1949 recalls how neighbors in the Woodlawn section of Pawtucket feared the construction of the highway. According to Rhode Island Department of Transportation blueprints, the highway was originally planned for the west side of Pawtucket, avoiding the Pawtucket River. The highway was originally designed to be constructed east of the New York-New Haven railroad tracks and create underpasses on Mineral Spring Avenue, Broad Street, and Dexter Street. The highway was meant to travel east of the Pawtucket-Central Falls train station and into South Attleboro, Massachusetts.

The Pawtucket River Bridge is part of Interstate 95 and has been replaced.

Exit list

Exit numbers are sequential, but are to be replaced with mileage based numbers as per MUTCD 2009 standards by 2018.[9]

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExit[10]Destinations[1]Notes
WashingtonHopkinton0.00.0 I-95 south New London, New York CityContinuation into Connecticut
0.71.11 Route 3 Hopkinton, Westerly
4.57.22Hope Valley, AltonVia Woodville Alton Road
Richmond6.410.3Former northbound rest area and welcome center (closed since September 2011)
7.1–
7.5
11.4–
12.1
3 Route 138 South Kingstown, Wyoming, Hope ValleySigned as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west)
9.014.54 Route 3 to Route 165 Arcadia, ExeterNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
10.717.2Rest area and weigh station
KentWest Greenwich13.6–
14.3
21.9–
23.0
5 Route 102 North Kingstown, West Greenwich, Foster, Exeter, North KingstownSigned as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north)
17.9–
18.4
28.8–
29.6
6 Route 3 Coventry, West Greenwich
19.6–
20.1
31.5–
32.3
6AHopkins Hill Road
21.434.47Coventry, West WarwickAccess via New London Turnpike
Warwick23.7–
24.1
38.1–
38.8
8 Route 2 to Route 4 East Greenwich, West WarwickSigned as exits 8A (north) and 8B (south) northbound
24.839.99 Route 4 south North KingstownNorthbound exit is via exit 8A; northern terminus of Route 4
26.6–
27.2
42.8–
43.8
10 Route 117 West Warwick, WarwickSigned as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west) southbound
27.644.411 I295 north WoonsocketSouthbound exit is via exit 12B; southern terminus of I-295
28.045.112 Route 113 east to Route 5 WarwickSigned as exit 12A southbound
28.545.9 Route 113 west / I295 north to Route 2 West WarwickSigned as exit 12B southbound
29.2–
29.8
47.0–
48.0
13 US 1 T.F. Green AirportAccess via Airport Connector Road
30.7–
31.7
49.4–
51.0
14A Route 37 east to US 1 WarwickExits 4A-B on Route 37
14B Route 37 west to Route 2 Cranston
15Jefferson BoulevardNorthbound exit ramp is shared with exit 14B
ProvidenceCranston33.253.416 Route 10 west to Route 2 (Reservoir Avenue) CranstonExits 2A-B on Route 10
33.854.4 Route 10 east to Route 12 (Park Avenue)No northbound exit
Providence34.255.017 US 1 (Elmwood Avenue)Southbound exit only; other movements via Route 10
35.0–
35.5
56.3–
57.1
18 Thurbers Avenue to US 1A
35.757.519 I195 east / US 6 east East Providence, Cape CodNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
36.158.1Eddy StreetSouthbound exit only
36.458.620Point StreetNo southbound exit
36.658.9 I195 east / US 6 east East Providence, Cape CodSouthern terminus of concurrency with US 6;
southbound exit and northbound entrance
37.059.521BroadwayNorthbound exit only
37.3–
37.6
60.0–
60.5
21Atwells AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
37.2–
37.8
59.9–
60.8
22AMemorial Boulevard Downtown Providence
22B US 6 west / Route 10 south Hartford, CTNorthern terminus of concurrency with US 6
22CProvidence Place
38.061.223 Route 146 north to US 44 Woonsocket, State OfficesNorthbound exit and southbound entrance;
southern terminus of Route 146
38.562.0Charles Street (Route 246) to Route 146 northSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
39.062.824Branch Avenue
39.4–
40.0
63.4–
64.4
25 Route 126 (Smithfield Avenue) / US 1 (North Main Street)Signed as exits 25A (US 1) and 25B (Route 126) northbound
Pawtucket40.665.326 Route 122 (Lonsdale Avenue / Main Street)Northbound exit and southbound entrance
41.1–
41.6
66.1–
66.9
27 US 1 south / Route 15 Pawtucket, North ProvidenceSouthern terminus of concurrency with US 1
41.4–
41.9
66.6–
67.4
28 Route 114 (School Street)No southbound exit
42.1–
42.6
67.8–
68.6
29NB: US 1 north (Broadway) / Cottage Street Downtown
SB: US 1 north / Route 15 North Providence, Pawtucket
Northern terminus of concurrency with US 1
42.7–
43.2
68.7–
69.5
30East Street / Roosevelt Avenue Central Falls
43.369.7 I95 north BostonContinuation into Massachusetts
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

  1. 1 2 3 Google (February 5, 2016). "Interstate 95" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "kurumi: Connecticut Route 184". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Roads of Metro Boston - northsouth Expressway". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 RIGIS Digital Aerial Photography
  5. 1 2 Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Interstate Highway Opening Dates
  6. Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, as adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials, approved June 27, 1958
  7. 1961 Gousha Massachusetts-Connecticut-Rhode Island map
  8. "kurumi: Connecticut Interstate 95". Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  9. http://wpri.com/2016/03/29/ri-set-to-renumber-all-its-highway-exit-signs/
  10. 2014 Interstate Strip Map (PDF) (Map). Rhode Island Department of Transportation. March 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
Interstate 95
Previous state:
Connecticut
Rhode Island Next state:
Massachusetts
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