I-195 closes overnight Nov. 6 for bridge demolition

The Town of Seekonk announced Oct. 28 that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation will close I-195 in both directions near the Taunton Avenue exit in East Providence starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

The closure, needed for the safe demolition of the Potter Street Bridge as part of the Washington Bridge rebuild project, is expected to last about 12 hours. Some lanes are scheduled to reopen by 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, with all lanes open again by noon.

Lane closures may begin after 8 p.m. ahead of the full shutdown. RIDOT is advising motorists to seek alternate routes and defer unnecessary travel during the closure, and the agency is setting up a dedicated route for emergency vehicles.

Detours will route I-195 East traffic off Exit 1D onto Warren Avenue and back onto I-195 East about a mile later, while I-195 West traffic will exit at Broadway, use Warren Avenue and re-enter via a temporarily opened on-ramp roughly three-quarters of a mile away. Warren Avenue will see temporary restrictions, including a ban on crossing traffic except at Pawtucket Avenue or Waterfront Drive, no on-street parking, and a ban on turns onto Warren Avenue westbound from Pawtucket Avenue. Broadway will close between Freeborn Avenue and Warren Avenue, and three on-ramps to I-195 West will be closed.

During the closure, drivers needing to cross I-195 near Potter Street should use the adjacent Purchase Street Bridge, adding about a minute of travel time between Warren Avenue and Cobb Street. Pedestrians can use a shorter detour via School Street, Purchase Street and Freeborn Street.

The rebuilt Potter Street Bridge, expected to reopen in summer 2028, will accommodate a wider I-195 corridor with four continuous westbound lanes between the Broadway interchange and the Washington Bridge, plus a fifth lane to a new Waterfront Drive off-ramp. The project aims to ease congestion on I-195 West that has historically backed up traffic toward the Massachusetts state line. The town noted that construction schedules are subject to change based on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.

Source: Town of Seekonk announcement, October 28, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.