RHODE ISLAND, September 13 - The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is reminding motorists that starting tonight, it is conducting its fourth rapid bridge installation this summer with the replacement of the I-95 southbound bridge over Elmwood Avenue in Providence. The bridge will be completely replaced over two weekends: this weekend, September 13-16 and next weekend, September 20-23.

The closures start each weekend at 8 p.m. on Fridays with all lanes open by 5 a.m. Monday morning. Additionally, the high-speed lane on I-95 North will be closed during these times.

The Elmwood Avenue Bridge is the first bridge to be repaired or replaced as part of the new I-95 15 Bridges project, which will remove 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 this summer received the state's largest-ever federal grant of $251 million to help fund this project.

During each weekend, RIDOT will close two lanes on I-95 South near the Elmwood Avenue/Route 1 off-ramp (Exit 34). RIDOT strongly suggests that travelers use alternate routes such as Route 10 and I-295 on both weekends and plan additional time for travel.

In preparation for this work, RIDOT this week installed a lane split on I-95 South at the bridge with two lanes on either side of the work zone. The split will be in place for the remainder of this week and the week of September 16-20, with two lanes on either side of the work zone. Drivers should not stop or suddenly change lanes at the split. This unsafe behavior will cause traffic delays and could lead to a crash. All lanes go through.

The bridge replacement work also requires the full closure of Elmwood Avenue at the I-95 overpass. During the closure, drivers can follow a signed detour using Reservoir Avenue (Route 2) and getting on Route 10 to reach Elmwood Avenue. Local traffic north of the bridge can also use Roger Williams Avenue to reach the detour route. There will be no changes for traffic on Elmwood Avenue northbound or I-95 North to Exit 33B trying to reach Roger Williams Park. Anyone heading to the park on I-95 South or Elmwood Avenue southbound will follow the detour route.

The schedule for the bridge replacement and traffic impacts is as follows:

Ongoing: There is a lane split on I-95 South beginning before the Elmwood Avenue off-ramp (Exit 34) with two lanes on either side of the split. All lanes go through. It will be in effect the remainder of this week.

September 13-16: The two left lanes on I-95 South and the left lane on I-95 North will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night, September 13. Also, Elmwood Avenue will be closed at the bridge. All lanes reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, September 16.

September 16-20: There will be a lane split on I-95 South beginning before the Elmwood Avenue off-ramp (Exit 34) with two lanes on either side of the split. All lanes go through.

September 20-23: The two right lanes on I-95 South and the left lane on I-95 North will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. Friday night, September 20. Also, Elmwood Avenue will be closed at the bridge. All lanes reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, September 23.

This rapid approach to bridge replacement saves motorists more than two years of lane closures, shifts and splits. Similar lane closures are planned later in the fall for the northbound portion of the bridge. The bridge is one of the busiest sections of I-95 and carries 130,000 vehicles per day.

The I-95 15 Bridges project takes a holistic approach to addressing these bridges to ensure the safe movement of over 185,000 vehicles, including about 9,000 trucks and heavy freight vehicles. Nine of the 15 bridges are structurally deficient. Three are rated among the top five most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Rhode Island. A total of 11 bridges will be repaired and four will be eliminated. RIDOT also will rebuild Route 10 from Elmwood Avenue to Park Avenue – transforming it into a boulevard with a shared use path to provide better connectivity for all users.

RIDOT will coordinate with its neighboring states to inform motorists of anticipated construction delays in the Providence area during these weekends.

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

The replacement of the Elmwood Avenue Bridge is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act [5artinnab.cc.rs6.net]. 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.