RHODE ISLAND, April 20 - Starting on Friday night, April 21, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will shift travel lanes at the Route 146/Route 146A (Exit 10) interchange in North Smithfield. The shift is the first step in the replacement of this bridge, which is part of the larger $196 million Route 146 Reconstruction Project.

Motorists can expect the following changes:

• Route 146 North: Both travel lanes will be shifted to the right.

• Route 146 North to Route 146A (Exit 10): The exit will be reduced from two lanes to one.

• Route 146A South ramp to Route 146 South: The travel lane will be narrowed.

Once traffic is shifted, RIDOT will demolish and replace the southern half of the bridge. The traffic pattern will be in place for the remainder of this year, followed by another shift so RIDOT can finish rebuilding the other half of the bridge.

The changes are necessary so RIDOT can rebuild this bridge using a new design which will accommodate northbound and southbound Route 146 traffic on the same structure. This will free up space now used by the southbound lanes for a newer, safer interchange for Route 146A.

RIDOT does not expect significant delays because of these changes but encourages drivers to reduced speed and drive carefully through the work zones.

In addition to work at this interchange, the project includes greatly needed improvements to the Route 146 corridor, making it safer, improving transit connections, and reducing congestion and vehicle emissions. The project will replace or repair five bridges, repave 8 miles of roadway and build a flyover bridge to carry Route 146 over Sayles Hill Road in North Smithfield – eliminating the traffic signal at Sayles Hill Road, the only traffic light on all of Route 146. This intersection averages more than 85 crashes per year and is a source of significant congestion and travel delay. Visit www.ridot.net/Route146 for more information.

The project was funded in part by a $65 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant – the largest the state ever received – which was secured by Rhode Island's Congressional delegation. It will be finished in summer 2026.

All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.

The Route 146 Project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.