Providence, Rhode Island Drivers Face a Full I-195 Closure in East Providence on November 6 for a Bridge Demolition

Drivers who use Interstate 195 through Providence, Rhode Island need a plan for Friday night, November 6. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will close I-195 in both directions near the Taunton Avenue exit in East Providence for about 12 hours so crews can demolish the Potter Street Bridge.

The full closure starts at 10 p.m. on Friday, November 6. Lane closures may begin after 8 p.m. that evening and continue until noon on Saturday, November 7. RIDOT expects some lanes to reopen by 10 a.m. on Saturday and all lanes by noon.

The demolition is part of the Washington Bridge rebuild project. East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva recorded a video urging drivers to find another route that night, the Providence Journal reported.

The detours

Eastbound drivers will leave I-195 at Exit 1D for Warren Avenue, turn left at the end of the ramp, follow Warren Avenue for about a mile and turn left onto the on-ramp back to I-195 East. The exits for Veterans Memorial Parkway and Taunton Avenue stay open.

Westbound drivers will take Exit 2 for Broadway, turn left at the end of the ramp, turn right onto Warren Avenue and, in about three quarters of a mile, turn right onto the Warren Avenue on-ramp toward I-195 West. That ramp is closed now, and RIDOT is opening it temporarily for the detour.

Three on-ramps to I-195 West will close during the work: from Warren Avenue westbound at the East Shore Expressway, from Pawtucket Avenue in both directions and from Broadway southbound. RIDOT says local drivers in East Providence trying to reach I-195 East or West should follow the signed detours it will set up along the city's major roads.

Changes on Warren Avenue and Broadway

Warren Avenue will carry the detour traffic between the I-195 East off-ramp near the Comedy Connection and the on-ramp near South County Street. Local traffic will not be able to cross Warren Avenue during the closure except at Pawtucket Avenue or Waterfront Drive, and police will help at the crossings. Parking will not be allowed on that stretch of Warren Avenue, and the center of the road stays open for emergency vehicles.

Broadway will be closed between Freeborn Avenue and Warren Avenue. Drivers crossing the highway while the Potter Street Bridge is out should use the nearby Purchase Street Bridge, which RIDOT says adds about one minute between Warren Avenue and Cobb Street. Pedestrians get a shorter detour on School Street, Purchase Street and Freeborn Street.

Why one full closure

RIDOT says tearing the bridge down in one night limits the impact. A phased demolition would need bracing supports and a series of lane closures that would disrupt traffic over a much longer period.

The Potter Street Bridge will be rebuilt over the next 12 to 18 months with a wider base for a wider highway. When the work is done, I-195 West will have four continuous lanes between the Broadway interchange and the Washington Bridge, plus a fifth lane leading to a new off-ramp at Waterfront Drive. RIDOT says the added lanes should ease the westbound congestion that has long backed traffic up toward the Massachusetts line. The new Potter Street Bridge is expected to open in summer 2028.

RIDOT advises drivers to plan ahead and put off any trip that can wait during the closure. Schedules can change with weather and site conditions.