RIDOT to split I-95 South traffic into three lanes and one lane near Exit 31C on Nov. 20

Drivers on I-95 South near the Cranston and Warwick line will see traffic divided into two groups, three lanes on the left and one on the right, beginning the night of Friday, Nov. 20, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. In Providence, the department is scheduled to shift traffic on the Eddy Street Bridge over I-95 on the night of Monday, Nov. 9.

Both changes are part of the I-95 15 Bridges project, according to RIDOT travel advisories dated Nov. 6 and Oct. 29. The agency says all construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather. The releases do not estimate how much delay drivers should expect.

I-95 South in Cranston and Warwick

The lane split will begin about one-half mile before the Jefferson Boulevard off-ramp, Exit 31C. RIDOT says it is needed to replace, in phases, the bridges that carry I-95 over the Pawtuxet River and Jefferson Boulevard.

All lanes go through and continue onto I-95 South. RIDOT tells drivers not to stop or suddenly change lanes at the split, which it says will cause delays and could lead to a crash. Drivers taking Exit 31A (Route 37 East toward Warwick) or Exit 31B (Route 37 West toward Cranston) can use either the single lane to the right of the split or the first lane to the left of it. RIDOT says an animation of the split is on its I-95 15 Bridges project page.

Eddy Street Bridge in Providence

RIDOT is replacing the bridge in phases. The shift moves existing traffic from one side of the bridge to the other so crews can rebuild the remaining portion. The existing alternating traffic pattern stays, along with one pedestrian-accessible sidewalk.

The eastern portion of Byfield Street, which runs parallel to I-95 from Eddy Street to Rugby Street, will be closed to all but local traffic. RIDOT expects this setup to last through fall 2027.

How long it lasts

The I-95 South split stays until spring 2027, RIDOT says. The agency then expects to change it to a different configuration and to install a lane split for northbound traffic. Each split sets up a work zone so part of a bridge can be demolished and replaced, and RIDOT says each change in configuration lets it progress across the entire width of the bridge deck. RIDOT expects all lanes to return to their original configuration by spring 2029, more than two years after the Nov. 20 split begins.

The project is removing 15 bridges from the state's backlog of poor and fair to poor condition bridges along I-95 and Route 10 between Providence and Warwick. RIDOT says nine of the 15 are structurally deficient and three are rated among the top five most traveled structurally deficient bridges in the state.