Interstate 95 in Rhode Island

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Route 84 (Rhode Island) redirects here. For the once-planned Interstate Highway, see Interstate 84 (Rhode Island).
Interstate 95
Length: 43.3[1] mi (69.7 km)
Formed: 1957
South end: I-95 in North Stonington, CT
Major
junctions:		 Route 4 in Warwick
I-295 in Warwick
I-195/US 6 in Providence
North end: I-95 in Attleboro, MA
Rhode Island Routes
< Route 94 Route 96 >

Interstate 95, the main north-south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs 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 Massachusetts - Interstate 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, a New England Interstate Route, in 1922, but has never been a U.S. Route.


Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Southern Rhode Island: Relocated Route 3, Route 84 and Route 95

Prior to any part of Interstate 95 being built, the diagonal corridor of Route 3 was already a well-traveled shortcut to the older U.S. Route 1. 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 with the North side of the turnpike paved, has an interchange with Interstate 95 (exit 7), continuies for 1.85 before multiplexing with Route 3 in West Warwick for a ¼ mile. New London Turnpike turns into New London Ave and continues straight for 2¼ before multiplexing 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 Wyoming. 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. 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), 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 and east across Route 3 to Route 2 on the West Warwick-Warwick line. 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).[5][4]

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 Wyoming, 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 Wyoming 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]

[edit] Providence area

[edit] Pawtucket area

[edit] Exit list

Town Mile[1] # Destinations Notes
Hopkinton 0.7 1 Route 3 – Hopkinton, Westerly
4.5 2 Hope Valley, Alton
Richmond 7.3 3 Route 138 – Wyoming, Hope Valley, Kingston, Newport Signed as exits 3A (east) and 3B (west)
9.2 4 Route 3 to Route 165 – Arcadia, Exeter Northbound exit and southbound entrance
West Greenwich 13.9 5 Route 102 – West Greenwich, Foster, Exeter, North Kingstown Signed as exits 5A (south) and 5B (north)
18.2 6 Route 3 – Coventry, West Greenwich
19.8 6A Hopkins Hill Road
21.4 7 Coventry, West Warwick (New London Turnpike)
West Warwick 24.0 8 Route 2 (Quaker Lane) – West Warwick, East Greenwich Signed as exits 8A (south) and 8B (north) northbound
Warwick
24.5 9 Route 4 south – North Kingstown Northbound exit is via exit 8A
27.0 10 Route 117 – West Warwick, Warwick Signed as exits 10A (east) and 10B (west) southbound
27.7 11 I-295 north to Route 2 north – Woonsocket No northbound entrance; southbound exit is part of exit 12B
28.3 12A Route 113 east to Route 5 – Warwick Signed as exit 12 northbound
28.3 12B Route 113 west – West Warwick Northbound exit is via exit 11
29.3 13 To US 1 (via Airport Connector Road) – T.F. Green Airport
31.0 14 Route 37 to Route 2 / I-295 / US 1 – Cranston, Warwick Signed as exits 14A (east) and 14B (west)
31.5 15 Jefferson Boulevard
Cranston 33.5 16 Route 10 – Cranston
Providence 34.0 17 US 1 (Elmwood Avenue) Southbound exit only
35.3 18 To US 1A / Thurbers Avenue
36.2 19 Eddy Street Southbound exit only
19 I-195 / US 6 east – East Providence, Cape Cod Northbound exit only; full interchange under construction (to replace exit 20)
36.6 20 I-195 / US 6 east – East Providence, Cape Cod South end of US 6 overlap
Point Street Under construction; no southbound exit
37.2 21 Broadway (US 1), Atwells Avenue
37.5 22A Memorial Boulevard – Downtown Providence
37.5 22B US 6 west / Route 10 – Hartford North end of US 6 overlap
37.5 22C Providence Place
23 To US 44 – State Offices Northbound exit and southbound entrance
38.2 23 Route 146 north – Lincoln, Woonsocket Southbound exit is via Charles Street
38.3 23 Charles Street (Route 246) Southbound exit and northbound entrance
39.0 24 Branch Avenue
39.7 25 Route 126 (Smithfield Avenue) to US 1 (North Main Street) Signed as exits 25A (to US 1) and 25B (Route 126 north) northbound
Pawtucket 40.9 26 Route 122 (Lonsdale Avenue, Main Street) Northbound exit and southbound entrance
41.4 27 US 1 / Route 15 – Pawtucket, North Providence
41.8 28 Route 114 (School Street) No southbound exit
42.2 29 US 1 south to Route 114 (Route 15) – Downtown Pawtucket South end of US 1 southbound overlap; no northbound exit
29 US 1 north (Broadway) / Cottage Street North end of US 1 northbound overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
43.0 30 East Street, Roosevelt Avenue – Central Falls

[edit] Rest Areas

  • Welcome Center / Rest Area - MP 6 - Northbound only between Exits 2 and 3 - Tourist Info, Rest Rooms, Phones.
  • Parking Areas - MP 10 - Northbound and Southbound between exits 4 and 5 - Parking area, pay phone. No other facilities.

The MP 10 parking areas also serve as Weigh Stations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b RIGIS data - "Roads - Primary" and "Roads - State"
  2. ^ a b kurumi: Connecticut Route 184
  3. ^ a b c The Roads of Metro Boston - North-South Expressway
  4. ^ a b c RIGIS Digital Aerial Photography
  5. ^ a b 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


Interstate 95
Previous state:
Connecticut		 Rhode Island Next state:
Massachusetts