Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)

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Interstate 195
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System
Length: 40.1 mi (64.5 km)
Formed: 1958 (completed in 1990)
West end: I-95 and US 6 in Providence, Rhode Island
East end: I-495 and Route 25 near Wareham, Massachusetts

Interstate 195 (abbreviated I-195) is an interstate highway running a combined 40.1 miles (64.5 km) in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts. It runs east-west and passes through the cities of Fall River, Massachusetts and New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The section in downtown Providence is currently being replaced and moved to the south to lie just south of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier.

Contents

[edit] Route description

Major cities
Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs

[edit] History

Predating I-195 were two sections of road - Fox Point Boulevard and the Washington Bridge. The Washington Bridge, crossing the Seekonk River between Providence and East Providence, was opened on September 25, 1930, replacing an 1885 swing bridge with a higher bascule bridge. A new eastbound bridge opened in November 1968.[1]

Fox Point Boulevard, later George M. Cohan Boulevard, was a surface boulevard connecting the Washington Bridge west to the Point Street Bridge and downtown Providence. It was built with no cross traffic by using U-turn ramps in the median to reverse direction. This was the last part in Providence to be built as a freeway, opened in December 1968.

The first freeway section came off the west end of Cohan Boulevard and over the Providence River, ending at the one-way pair of Pine Street and Friendship Street, which opened in November 1958. The ramp to Pine Street has been closed, but the entrance from Friendship Street still exists. The I-95 interchange at this end opened in fall 1964; the Pine Street ramp was kept for a while.

The next section to be constructed was the part in East Providence. It opened to the last exit before the state line on December 15, 1959, and was extended into Massachusetts by August 1960.

Before the Interstate Highway System numbering was decided upon, I-195 was planned as a relocation of US 6; in fact, all but the last section were signed as US 6 when built (the first section only eastbound though). In 1957, the number Interstate 95E was assigned, as all intercity routes were numbered before the three-digit Interstate numbering was chosen, and the Providence-New Bedford route was too long to be considered intracity. The I-195 designation was assigned in 1959 with the final numbering. At some time after 1976, the definition of I-195 was extended east to I-495 (which was itself extended).

I-195 still carries US 6, now in both directions, from I-95 to the last interchange before Massachusetts. It also carries US 1A and US 44 over the Washington Bridge and its approaches, though the former has almost no signs.

Until around 1990, the US 6 freeway from RI 10 at Olneyville west to I-295 was signed as RI 195.

[edit] Iway

Main article: Iway

Interstate 195's stretch through Providence is currently (2008) in the process of being rerouted due to the sharp curves and the way the road cuts through part of the city. The relocation will make the segment safer for traffic, reunify the Jewelery District with Downcity Providence, and free up more space. In the process some 35 buildings, housing over 80 businesses and six residences were demolished.[1] The new stretch of highway is being called the Iway by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and includes a signature bridge over the Providence River[2] as well as a landscaped pedestrian walkway over the highway. It will connect India Point Park to the Fox Point neighborhood. The project is estimated to cost $446 million, with the new stretch opening in 2009 (full interchange), and demolition of the old road to be completed in 2012.[3]

[edit] Exit list

Town Exit # Mile Destinations Notes
begins at I-95.
It begins joined with US 6.
Providence 0.0 I-95 South – New York City
I-95 North (exit 20)/US 6 West – Boston, Hartford		 Entry to 195 also available from Friendship Street until 2008-05-27 (when it permanently closes [4]), and Interstate 95 northbound exit 19 (partial access to the relocated 195)

On 2008-05-27, Interstate 95 Northbound Traffic wishing to access 195 Must use exit 19 as exit 20 will close permanently. Interstate 95 Southbound traffic will still use exit 20.
1 0.4 Downtown Providence No westbound exit.


No eastbound access from Interstate 95 exit 19 I-195 ramp
2 0.7 East: Wickenden Street – India Point
West: US 44 West (South Main Street)		 To US 1A South (not signed).


Accessible via I-95 North exit 19 as of 2008-05-22 [5]
join
3 1.1 Gano St – India Point Closed as of 2008-05-22 [6]
East Providence 4 1.8 US 44 East (Taunton Avenue)
Veterans Memorial Parkway – Riverside		 Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only
leaves
5 2.0 Route 103 east (Warren Avenue) Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only
Old US 6.
6 2.4 Broadway Westbound access to US 44 and Route 103
7 3.0 US 6 east – Seekonk
To Route 114 south – Barrington		 Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only
East Shore Expressway
leaves
8 3.2 US 1A north (Pawtucket Avenue) to Route 114 north – Rumford Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only
leaves
MA-RI state line

[edit] Exits in Massachusetts

Exit # Town/City Road Intersected Notes
I-195 crosses into Massachusetts from Rhode Island
Bristol County
1 Seekonk Route 114A
2 Swansea
Route 136 South
3
U.S. Route 6 to Route 118
4 Somerset Route 103
Lee's River Ave		 Split into 4A-B westbound.
5 Fall River
Route 79 North/Route 138
6 Pleasant Street
7
Route 81 South (Plymouth Avenue)
8A
Route 24 South		 Route 24 joins eastbound and leaves westbound
Route 24 joins I-195
8B Fall River
Route 24 North		 Route 24 leaves eastbound and joins westbound.
leaves
9 Westport Sanford Street Eastbound exit only, no entrances.
10
Route 88 South
11 Dartmouth Reed Road Split into 11A-B westbound.
12 Faunce Corner Road Split into 12A-B westbound.
13A-B New Bedford Route 140
14 Penniman Street Eastbound exit/westbound entrance only.
15
Route 18 SOUTH		 No access to Route 18 North from I-195 in either direction.
No access to I-195 from Route 18 South.
16 Washburn Street Eastbound exit/entrance only.
17 Coggeshall Street Westbound exit/entrance only.
18 Fairhaven
Route 240 South		 To U.S. Route 6.
Plymouth County
19A-B Mattapoisett North Street
20 Marion Route 105
21 Wareham Route 28
22A
Interstate 495 North
22B
Route 25 East
I-195 ends at

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sabar, Ariel (3 October 1999) "Highway Blues" The Providence Journal from Internet Archive, accessed 12 May 2008
  2. ^ "Moving and setting the Iway I-195 Providence River Bridge" Rhode Island Department of Transportation 2006, accessed 26 September 2006
  3. ^ 195 Relocation Background. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  4. ^ RIDOT News- RIDOT announces Iway schedule for remainder of May
  5. ^ RIDOT News- RIDOT announces Iway schedule for remainder of May
  6. ^ RIDOT News- RIDOT announces Iway schedule for remainder of May

[edit] External links

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Auxiliary routes of Interstate 95
Browse numbered routes
< Route 193 MA Route 197 >
< Route 179 RI Route 214 >