Interstate 195 (Rhode Island)

The 40.1 mile (64.5 km) long Interstate 195 travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and MA 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 (in the photo at right) is currently being replaced and moved to the south to lie just south of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. This is due to the sharp curves and the way the road cuts through part of the city.

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.

Next 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 numbering was decided on, 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 I-95E was assigned; it wasn't until the final numbering in 1959 that I-195 was chosen. The original I-195 only went to New Bedford, Massachusetts; a later extension took it to its current end at I-495.

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 I-195, but with a black-and-white shield. It was originally planned as part of I-84, which would have continued from RI 10 to end at the I-95/I-195 interchange.

Exit list

For now, this only covers Rhode Island. Some exits near the west end may be closed.

External links

• RIDOT - Relocation of the I-95/I-195 Interchange
• Kurumi
• Bostonroads.com - East Providence Expressway

References

• Rhode Island State Highways/Map sources

See also: Interstate 195 (Rhode Island), 1885, 1930, 1957