Starting on Saturday night, September 30, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will shift travel lanes at two locations in North Smithfield as part of the $196 million Route 146 Reconstruction Project. The shifts will be minor, and no lanes will be closed.
The first change involves shifting both northbound and southbound Route 146 traffic to the right at the Sayles Hill Road intersection. This will create a work zone in the center median so RIDOT can begin building the foundations for the new flyover bridge that will eventually carry Route 146 over Sayles Hill Road.
The new flyover bridge is one of the key features of the project, which will make the interchange safer and eliminate the need for the current traffic signal, the only traffic light on all of Route 146. This intersection averages more than 85 crashes per year and is a source of significant congestion and travel delay.
The other shift involves Route 146A approaching Route 146 South. RIDOT temporarily reduced the number of lanes there from two lanes to one, and on Friday night will shift that one lane to the right. RIDOT is rebuilding the Spring Brook Bridge overpass, which carries Route 146 North, at this location.
Also in the coming week, on Tuesday, October 3, RIDOT will temporarily close the Route 146 South weigh station, located south of the Farnum Pike (Route 104) interchange. It will be closed for approximately two years for a full reconstruction, including the addition of new scales.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.
The Route 146 Project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Improvement Act. 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.