State: Rt. 195 traffic will worsen when new section opens
2:13 PM Thu, Jun 11, 2009 | Permalink
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By Bruce Landis PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The opening of a major section of Route 195 next week will initially make traffic worse, not better, officials said Thursday. "It's a necessary evil," state Transportation Director Michael P. Lewis said Thursday at a press conference on the new section of highway. "I can't sugarcoat this. Westbound traffic will actually get worse," he said. 
On June 18, the third phase of the relocation of Route 195 moves the 95 north-south split to the east: Drivers will encounter it immediately after the Washington Bridge. That means, the DOT says, that drivers must already be positioned in the lanes they need before the bridge: the right lanes to go downtown or north, the left lanes to go south. RIDOT photoOn Thursday, June 18, the DOT plans to open a section of the relocated Route 195 connecting the Washington Bridge with Route 95 southbound, DOT engineers said. Officials said traffic congestion will get worse because drivers will have to weave across traffic to reach the correct lanes going to Route 95 north and Route 95 south. Drivers will have to switch lanes before reaching the Washington Bridge. Motorists on Route 195 west who want to reach Route 95 south will still use the left lanes while motorists seeking to travel north on Route 95 will still use the right lanes. The primary difference, the DOT said, is that the split will now occur immediately after Exit 3 (Gano Street) and the Washington Bridge. Signs will be installed beginning at the Massachusetts state line. Traffic on the left headed to Route 95 south will pass over the new, blue Providence River Bridge and use the new highway, which connects to Route 95 just before Exit 18 (Thurbers Avenue). Traffic on the right will continue to use old Route 195 until the DOT opens the final major highway segment, Route 195 west to Route 95 north, later this year. Governor Carcieri said he expects traffic to improve in the fall when the new connection between Route 195 west and Route 95 north opens. For detailed information and maps, check the DOT's Web site: dot.ri.gov (With Journal archival reports) 
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Know where you need to be and pick your lanes early. Nothing worse or more dangerous than someone in the right lane who realizes at the last second that they need the south ramp and shift over 3 lanes of traffic to catch it.
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I hope I'm missing something. But, to me it seems that we have only moved the congestion from the old Rt95 exit 20 to the Thurbers Ave exit. Rt 195 traffic will merge onto Rt 95S just where vehicles are trying to exit at Thurbers Ave. On Rt95N at the Thurbers Ave on ramp vehicles now have to merge with 195 East exiting traffic and Rt 95N traffic. This is exactly the problem that existed at exit 20 before the project began. We still have only one major bridge that connects to Rt 195. So, where did we gain except for new roadways. For my money it's the "King's New Clothes".
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I have my fingers crossed...
Another way from Warren back into the city.....for now...
It pretty scary ..the new road actally seams to look smaller than the present 4 lane set up...
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I love the new Iway and I don't care what anyone says, it's helped. But, I live in East Providence and if I have to go 95 South and I come off the Veterans Prkwy. ramp to 195W we in East Providence will unfortunately be the ones that will have to cut across 3 lanes of traffic because of where we're located. That remains to be seen but from the looks of it, we don't have much time to get over! I'll bet the MA drivers are going to be the ones that will be causing most of the issues...guaranteed!
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Coming down 95 South and trying to use Exit 18 - Thurbers Ave. - is now terrifying. An unfortunate and dangerous design. Something needs to be done to make Exit 18 safe again. Either that, or build a new exit.
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