For those Rhode Islanders who plan to head to the beach or drive out of state this summer, they will likely navigate through at least a couple of the state's most important road projects happening this construction season.
A variety of different projects have gotten under way — from milling and repaving U.S. Highway 1 down the coast, to the work on the Interstate 95 viaduct through downtown Providence, to the redesigned intersection and new bridge on Rhode Island Highway 146 sending traffic over Sayles Hill Road near North Smithfield.
What follows are 10 of state's key road-building efforts happening this summer:
'I-95 15' Bridge Replacement in Providence, Cranston
Not to be confused with the viaduct through downtown Providence, the "I-95 15" is pitched as the replacement of 15 bridges along the interstate in Providence and Cranston at a cost of $779 million.
Work first began last year, with a projected completion set for 2031.
Despite its name, though, the construction is not concentrated solely on installing new bridges, the Journal reported July 26, 2025.
Rather, it also is designed to convert R.I. 10, between U.S. Highway 1 and R.I. 12, from a freeway into a boulevard "with complete streets amenities that include a shared use path," the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) said.
"The intersection at R.I. 10 and R.I. 12 will be converted to [an] at-grade intersection with enhanced safety features and complete streets elements," according to the agency.
The roadway also is being reconfigured to a boulevard with a protected shared use path, RIDOT added, "to connect the cities of Cranston and Providence and provide improved access to community resources such as Roger Williams Park, Zoo and Botanical Center. Finally, alignments along R.I.10 will be adjusted to calm vehicle speeds, making this area safer and more comfortable for nonmotorized users."
After eastbound R.I. 10 passes I-95 — and a block later, U.S. 1 — it passes Roger Williams Park as it curves around to the south before ending at Park Avenue.
Currently, the number of lanes on R.I. 10 in Cranston has been reduced to one lane in each direction from the I-95 ramps to Park Avenue. Traffic on nearby Eddy Street over the interstate highway was indefinitely reduced to one lane July 28, with an alternating traffic pattern, as work on that bridge started.
I-95 Viaduct Through Downtown Providence
More than just a bridge, Providence's I-95 viaduct is being replaced using a redesign that separates northbound thru traffic from vehicles heading to R.I. 146. All that traffic funnels onto a service road, along with vehicles from R.I 10 and the downtown area.
The new viaduct is 1,295 ft. long and will cost $265 million when the work is finished later this year. Crews first began building the structure in 2020.
"This new configuration will vastly improve the crippling congestion caused by traffic trying to access I-95 northbound from the 6/10 Connector and by traffic trying to exit I-95 to access [R.I.] 146 or the state offices," according to information on the RIDOT website.
Providence's West River Street Bridge
The West River Street Bridge in Providence also is being replaced. When finished later in 2025, it will connect Branch Avenue and Charles Street at a projected cost of $10.5 million. RIDOT has not provided a recent update on the status of the bridge/road construction, according to the Journal.
Interstate 295, R.I Highway 37, Cranston Canyon
A huge, three-phased effort to replace and — in some cases — redesign 22 bridges along R.I. 37 in Cranston first got going in 2020, with a projected price tag of $310 million.
"Almost half of the [R.I.] 37 bridges are classified as being in poor condition," the state transportation agency said on the project's online page.
A full 15 bridges are getting upgrades in the initial phase of construction on R.I. 37 between U.S. 1/Post Road in Warwick and the Pontiac Avenue interchange in Cranston, with two of those structures being replaced and another pair undergoing a rehabilitation.
RIDOT and its construction partners also are widening the corridor's highway and ramps to deal with chronic congestion.
The second phase has six bridges being rebuilt and a new bridge under construction, all west of Pontiac Avenue, along with "a number of improvements to improve safety and reduce congestion at the interchange of R.I 37 and I-295, and along [the interstate] itself in the section commonly known as ‘Cranston Canyon' because of the rocky walls along the highway."
The third section of work will shrink the highway corridor — which RIDOT noted is overbuilt due to the fact it was part of a scrapped highway expansion project — and replace or rehabilitate six bridges that bring R.I. 37 traffic over local streets and rail lines.
In late July 2025, state-supervised crews were adding a third lane at I-295 North to be an auxiliary lane from R.I. 37 heading north, and then extending it to U.S. 6 in the city of Johnston.
When the new ramp from R.I. 37 to I-295 North opens, it will have traffic merge onto the freeway from the right instead of the left. Afterward, a new service road will open along I-295 North at the ramps for R.I. 37 to divert off-ramp traffic from the interstate.
In addition, I-295 North will be widened to three lanes by adding 4 ft. of road to the left side to ease congestion between R.I. 37 and U.S. 6.
RIDOT said that the new service road, running next to I-295 North at the ramps for R.I. 37, is designed to ease merging traffic. When it opened July 28, the service road uses the same concept as the new viaduct pattern for traffic heading to R.I. 146.
Rhode Island Highway 146 in North Smithfield
In North Smithfield, R.I. 146 is undergoing a full redesign and rebuild at its intersection with Sayles Hill Road, a move to "eliminate one of the most active crash sites in Rhode Island," according to the transportation agency's website.
The projected four-year-long effort began in 2022 and is likely to cost $196 million to complete.
The final result will be highway traffic going over — rather than through — the local intersection, with a series of on- and off-ramps for local vehicles.
Multiple bridge replacements also are being built as part of the project, as well as the repaving of 8 mi. of roadway from the I-295 interchange to the Massachusetts state line, and "adding bus-on-shoulder accommodations along the southern end of [R.I.] 146 in North Providence and Providence," noted RIDOT.
Currently, the two left lanes in each direction (northbound and southbound) of R.I. 146 carries traffic onto one of the new bridges while the two right lanes headed each way reach an intersection with a traffic light. As vehicles continue to flow through the junction, according to the Providence Journal, it is a perennial source of lane closures while the bridge undergoes construction.
School Street in Lincoln
Water and sewer line replacements that began back in the spring are being installed on School Street in Lincoln, R.I., along with updated sidewalks and curbs and a complete repaving.
From now until December 2025, the $11.3 million project has shut down the avenue to vehicular traffic on weekdays from Old River Road/R.I. 126 to Main Street.
Tower Hill Road Bridge in North, South Kingstown
The Tower Hill Road bridge, which takes local traffic over R.I. 138 in North Kingstown, is being replaced and 6.5 mi. of that road are being resurfaced.
To allow the $35.8 million build to proceed on schedule, R.I. 138's different lanes and ramps are closed Sunday through Thursday nights, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. During those hours, RIDOT noted, its crews are busy milling the road.
The two-year effort is set to conclude in 2026, the Journal noted.
Wickford Roundabout
Just west of Narragansett Bay in the village of Wickford, R.I., the intersection at Phillips Street, Boston Neck Road and Brown Street is due to get a roundabout, despite late opposition from area residents.
The state transportation agency said that work on building the $2.5 million roundabout at the three-street intersection is planned to get underway Sept. 2, with a completion date of Oct. 31.
New Ramps for Route 4 North to I-95 South, I-95 North to Route 4 South
Called a "missing move" and a "long-term goal" for both RIDOT and the state's residents, the transportation department is preparing to connect I-95 to R.I. 4 via new ramps spanning three towns in the central part of the state.
Ever since R.I. 4, a 5.4-mi. freeway linking R.I. 102 to the I-95 merge, was built in 1965, travelers have been clamoring for what is known as "the missing move," RIDOT said, adding that R.I. 4 transports 63,000 drivers each day.
Later this year, the state agency, with help from a federal $81 million Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG), will break ground on this $144 million project. The project has two components: one creates the missing move and the second serves the burgeoning economic growth center of Quonset Point.
The first component will create two critical roadways, including a new bridge overpass to link R.I. 4 North to I-95 South, while the second will use an existing right-of-way for an at-grade link between I-95 North and R.I. 4 South.
The second phase of construction will install three ramps on R.I. 403 in North Kingstown to connect the Quonset Business Park (QBP) to its Davisville district via a limited-access highway. Building the ramps will give heavy trucks and other freight traffic freeway access without using local roads, the Providence Journal reported.
A roundabout also is planned to be built as part of the project south of R.I. 403 at Compass Circle.
When the work is completed in 2028, RIDOT is confident that all of the project's elements will help traffic move better in and around QBP.
Warwick Corridor Project, Two Bridge Replacements
A pair of bridges that carry R.I. 113 over I-95 and I-295 in Warwick, R.I., are due to be replaced, along with paving, new sidewalks, traffic signals and upgrades, pedestrian crossing features and other safety improvements.
The work kicked off last year and is expected to reach its end in 2027 at a cost of $102.4 million.
Resurfacing will take place on:
• Bald Hill Road from East Avenue to the I-295 ramps;
• East Avenue from Bald Hill Road to Greenwich Avenue;
• Main Avenue from Greenwich Avenue to West Shore Road;
• West Shore Road from Long Street to Oakland Beach Avenue; and
• Post Road from Coronado Road to Main Avenue.
Sidewalk upgrades will be performed on:
• Centerville Road at the I-95 Northbound ramps;
• Toll Gate Road from Craig Road to Orchard Road; and
• the Warwick Avenue corridor from Atlantic Avenue to the 2400 block of Warwick.
