Interstate 95 in Rhode Island

Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running generally southwest–northeast through the US 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 Massachusetts—I-195, a spur from Providence east to Cape Cod, and I-295, a western bypass of the Providence metropolitan area.

Interstate 95 marker
Interstate 95
Map
I-95 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by RIDOT
Length42.36 mi[1] (68.17 km)
Existed1957–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end I-95 in North Stonington, CT
Major intersections
North end I-95 in Attleboro, MA
Location
CountryUnited States
StateRhode Island
CountiesWashington, Kent, Providence
Highway system
Route 94 I-95E

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

Route description

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History

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Southern Rhode Island

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Junction with Route 37 in Warwick
 

The diagonal corridor of Route 3 was a well-traveled shortcut to the older US 1 even before any part of I-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. The existing Connecticut Route 84 in Connecticut was rerouted to use the new road (now Connecticut Route 184), and the short piece in Rhode Island was also numbered Rhode Island Route 84 (Route 84).[citation needed] (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 through 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 I-95 (exit 7), and continues for 1.85 miles (2.98 km) before connecting with Route 3 in West Warwick for a quarter mile (0.40 km). New London Turnpike turns into New London Ave and continues straight for 2.25 miles (3.62 km) before connecting with Providence Street (Route 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),[citation needed] as well as a bridge over the Wood River and Mechanic Street.[2]

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 WarwickWarwick line (modern day exit 8).[citation needed] 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).[2][3]

 

The I-95 designation was approved on June 27, 1958.[4] The section in southern Rhode Island was temporarily designated Rhode Island Route 95 (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.[5] Connecticut also renumbered their section of Connecticut Route 84 to Connecticut Route 95 at that time.[citation needed]

I-95 in Connecticut was finished December 12, 1964, to the Rhode Island state line, where it connected to the older Route 95 divided highway.[citation needed] 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.[3] 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. 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 I-95, as the whole road was now a freeway.

An interchange with the New London Turnpike named exit 21 (old exit 7) was added to the Kent County Freeway by 1972.[2] In 1983, a new interchange with Hopkins Hill Road named exit 19 (old exit 6A) opened.[citation needed]

Providence area

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The construction of I-95 split the city of Providence in two, cutting off the city's western neighborhoods from downtown and its eastern neighborhoods.

Among the areas affected was Cathedral Square, which had been a bustling center of civic life before World War II. I-95, constructed adjacent to Cathedral Square, changed the area's character forever. A 1972 redesign by I. M. Pei attempted to revitalize the square but failed.[6]

Pawtucket area

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

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

Future

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In January 2024, the state of Rhode Island was rewarded an $81 million federal grant to construct the missing movements between I-95 and Route 4 in Warwick. A new I-95 South entrance ramp from Route 2 at the adjacent interchange will also be constructed.[7]

Exit list

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RIDOT converted exit number from sequential to mileage-based numbering per federal highway standards. Exit renumbering began on August 28, 2022, and completed on November 3, 2022.[8]

CountyLocationmi[9]kmOld exitNew exit[10]Destinations[9]Notes
WashingtonHopkinton0.00.0 
 
I-95 south – New London, New York
Continuation into Connecticut
0.71.11  Route 3 – Hopkinton, Westerly
4.57.224Hopkinton, Hope ValleyVia Woodville Alton Road
Richmond6.410.3Rest area and welcome center (northbound)
7.311.737  Route 138 – South Kingstown, Wyoming
9.014.549  
 
Route 3 to Route 165 – Arcadia, Exeter
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
10.717.2Parking area and weigh station
KentWest Greenwich14.022.5514  Route 102 – North Kingstown, West Greenwich, ExeterSigned as exits 14A (south) and 14B (north)
18.229.3618  Route 3 – Coventry, West Greenwich
19.932.06A19Hopkins Hill RoadOpened 1983
21.434.4721Coventry, West WarwickAccess via New London Turnpike
Warwick23.938.5824A  
 
Route 2 to Route 4 – East Greenwich, West Warwick
No northbound entrance; signed as exits 24A (south) and 24B (north) northbound
24.839.9924B 
 
Route 4 south – North Kingstown
Southbound left exit and northbound entrance; northern terminus of Route 4
26.943.31027  Route 117 – West Warwick, WarwickSigned as exits 27A (east) and 27B (west) southbound
27.644.411-12B28A 
 
I-295 north – Woonsocket
Northbound left exit; no northbound entrance; southern terminus of I-295
28.045.112A28B 
 
 
 
Route 113 east to Route 5 – Warwick
28.545.912B28C 
 
 
 
Route 113 west to Route 2 – West Warwick
No northbound exit
29.547.51329   US 1 – T.F. Green AirportAccess via Airport Connector Road
31.5–
31.7
50.7–
51.0
1431A-B  
 
 
 
Route 37 to US 1 / Route 2 – Warwick, Cranston
Signed as exits 31A (east) and 31B (west); exits 2A-B on Route 37
31.951.31531CJefferson Boulevard
ProvidenceCranston33.253.41633 
 
 
 
Route 10 north to Route 2 (Reservoir Avenue) – Cranston
Exits 1B-C on Route 10; signed as exits 33A (north) and 33B (south)
33.854.4  US 1 (Elmwood Avenue)
 
 
 
 
Route 10 south to Route 12 (Park Avenue)
Northbound exit only; signed as exit 33B
No northbound exit access; signed as exit 33A southbound
Providence34.255.01734  US 1 (Elmwood Avenue)Southbound exit only; other movements via Route 10
35.356.81835 
 
Thurbers Avenue to US 1A
36.258.319-2036A 
 
 
 
I-195 east / US 6 east – East Providence, Cape Cod
Southern terminus of US 6 concurrency; western terminus of I-195
36.358.420
19
36BPoint Street
Eddy Street
Northbound Signage
Southbound Signage
37.059.52137ABroadwayNorthbound exit only
37.560.4Atwells AvenueSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
37.2–
37.8
59.9–
60.8
22A37BMemorial Boulevard – Downtown ProvidenceAccessible from the Providence Viaduct
22B37C 
 
 
 
  US 6 west / Route 10 south – Hartford, CT
Northern terminus of US 6 concurrency to the 6/10 connector, Accessible from the Providence Viaduct
22C37DProvidence PlaceAccessible from the Providence Viaduct
38.061.22338 
 
 
 
Route 146 north to US 44 – Woonsocket, State Offices
Northbound signage; signed as exits 38A (Route 146) and 38B (US 44); southern terminus of Route 146
38.562.0Charles Street (Route 246) to Route 146 northSouthbound signage
39.062.82439ABranch Avenue
39.763.92539B-C    Route 126 (Smithfield Avenue) / US 1 (North Main Street)Signed as exits 39B (US 1) and 39C (Route 126) northbound
Pawtucket40.665.32640  Route 122 (Lonsdale Avenue / Main Street)Northbound exit and southbound entrance
41.466.62741(A)   US 1 / Route 15 – Pawtucket, North ProvidenceSouthern terminus of US 1 concurrency; signed as exit 41 southbound
41.867.32841B  Route 114 (School Street)No southbound exit
42.468.22942   US 1 (Broadway) / Route 15 / Cottage Street – Downtown PawtucketNorthern terminus of US 1 concurrency; signed as exits 42A (US 1) and 42B (Cottage) northbound; signed for Route 15 southbound
43.069.23043East Street / Roosevelt Avenue – Central Falls
43.369.7 
 
I-95 north – Boston
Continuation into Massachusetts
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Tolls

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High-speed toll gantries were installed at several locations along I-95 between 2018 and 2020. Toll rates at each point varied between $2.25 and $9.50. Tolls were collected only from commercial trucks pulling trailers. Federal judges ordered Rhode Island officials on September 21, 2022, to stop collecting truck-only tolls due to the long-hauling trucking industry's complaint that the highway charges were unconstitutional and unfair.[11]

References

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KML is from Wikidata
  1. ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Rhode Island Geographic Information System License Agreement". Rhode Island Geographical Information Site. July 8, 2005. Archived from the original on April 22, 2006. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Interstate Highway Opening Dates
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 1961 Gousha Massachusetts-Connecticut-Rhode Island map
  6. ^ Kasakove, Sophie (September 7, 2016). "In Downtown Providence, A Forgotten Piece Of Architectural History". Rhode Island Public Radio. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  7. ^ Anderson, Patrick (January 24, 2024). "RI lands $81M grant to build 'missing ramps' from I-95 north to Route 4 south". The Providence Journal. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "RIDOT begins renumbering of I-95 exits". August 29, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Interstate 95" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  10. ^ 2014 Interstate Strip Map (PDF) (Map). Rhode Island Department of Transportation. March 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  11. ^ Anderson, Patrick (September 21, 2022). "Judge orders halt to Rhode Island truck tolls, rules system is unconstitutional". The Providence Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
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