Interstate 195 is scheduled to close in both directions near the Taunton Avenue exit in East Providence at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, for demolition of the Potter Street bridge.
Lane restrictions may begin after 8 p.m. The full closure is expected to last about 12 hours, with some lanes reopening by 10 a.m. Saturday and all lanes by noon, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation said in its Nov. 5 notice. RIDOT says the schedule can change with weather and other conditions.
Exits 1B and 1C will remain open eastbound. Eastbound traffic will use Exit 1D to Warren Avenue and follow the signed route back to I-195. Westbound traffic will leave at Exit 2 for Broadway and follow the Warren Avenue detour.
Local access will also change. RIDOT lists three closed on-ramps to I-195 West, no on-street parking on part of Warren Avenue and a closure of Broadway between Freeborn and Warren avenues. North-south travel across that stretch of Warren Avenue will be limited to Pawtucket Avenue and Waterfront Drive.
RIDOT strongly advises drivers to seek alternate routes and defer unnecessary travel. While the Potter Street bridge is closed, drivers can cross I-195 on the Purchase Street bridge, and pedestrians can follow a detour using School, Purchase and Freeborn streets.
The demolition is part of the Washington Bridge rebuild. The highway closure is temporary, and RIDOT expects the new Potter Street bridge to open in summer 2028.
