Travel Advisory: Weekend Lane and Ramp Closures Needed at I-295/Route 37 Interchange in Cranston for Opening of New Flyover Bridge

Starting on Friday night, July 25, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will have lane and ramp closures lasting through the weekend at the I-295/Route 37 interchange in Cranston. During this time, RIDOT will complete construction on a new flyover ramp that will carry drivers from Route 37 East to I-295 North.

The closures begin at 8 p.m. Friday and remain in place through 5 a.m. Monday, July 28. Motorists should plan additional time for travel. The affected lanes and ramps include:

I-295 North & South: The high-speed lane will be closed for both northbound and southbound drivers, reducing the number of travel lanes on I-295 from two to one.

Route 37 East to I-295 North: The ramp will be closed. Drivers should remain on Route 37 East and use the Route 2 interchange to reverse direction onto Route 37 West, then use the I-295 North ramp.

The new ramp was built as part of RIDOT's Cranston Canyon project, and will take traffic over I-295 North so drivers will enter the highway on the right-hand side instead of the left-hand side. This more conventional design will improve safety and reduce crashes.

When the new flyover bridge opens, RIDOT also will open a new service road alongside I-295 North at the ramps for Route 37. This will provide more room for traffic entering and exiting the highway in a separate lane from I-295 through traffic.

The new flyover bridge is being constructed as part of a larger $85 million project to make numerous improvements, rebuild six bridges and build one new bridge along the Route 37 corridor west of Pontiac Avenue in Cranston. It includes a number of improvements to improve safety and reduce congestion at the interchange of Route 37 and I-295 and along I-295 itself in the section commonly known as the "Cranston Canyon" because of the rocky walls along the highway. Last year RIDOT completed work on a third travel lane from Route 37 all the way to Route 6 to reduce chronic backups often occurring during rush hour.

It is the second of three Route 37-focused projects, representing more than $300 million of improvements to address all bridges and safety concerns along the entire highway. Route 37 is a critical east-west freeway in central Rhode Island, linking the cities of Cranston and Warwick, major retail, office and residential areas, Interstate highways and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. With a daily traffic count of 42,000 vehicles, Route 37 is one of the state's busiest corridors.

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

The construction of the new flyover bridge is made possible by RhodeWorks. 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.