Major traffic redirect on I-95, 6/10 coming this weekend. What to know.

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Providence Journal

PROVIDENCE − Crews will be closing lanes on Interstate 95 North overnight and redirecting traffic from Route 6/10 headed toward I-95 this weekend.

The move will create work zones to ease the building of median barriers to separate I-95 from the adjacent service route that offloads Route 146 traffic.

The closures will happen on Friday and Saturday nights (May 3-4), from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Crews will shift all the lanes on the Exit 38 service road to the right, but keep the same number of lanes.

The traffic pattern will remain that way until late fall, according to a news release from the state Department of Transportation.

This rendering shows the design of the final phase of the I-95 North reconstruction project, where traffic headed to Route 146 and state offices will be split off from through traffic onto its own road at bottom center-right, nearly a mile south of the current 146 exit.
This rendering shows the design of the final phase of the I-95 North reconstruction project, where traffic headed to Route 146 and state offices will be split off from through traffic onto its own road at bottom center-right, nearly a mile south of the current 146 exit.

Route 6/10 traffic rerouted to Atwells entrance

Traffic coming from Route 6/10 East and Memorial Boulevard/Route 6 West will be redirected to the I-95 on-ramp on Atwells Avenue.

Lane closures may happen between Broadway and Branch Avenue

Crews may close lanes on I-95 North between the Broadway exit (Exit 37A) and the Branch Avenue exit (Exit 39A).

Why is there a service road?

The service road being shifted to the right is part of the redesign of the I-95 Viaduct.

The idea is to separate traffic headed for Route 146 from I-95 through-traffic onto a service road that collects traffic from I-95 headed toward Route 146, Route 6/10 and downtown.

The service road, also known as a collector-distributor road, then allows drivers to head to Route 146, get back on I-95 North or use the state offices exit. It is supposed to reduce congestion on I-95 North by isolating, on a separate road, all the dodging and weaving of drivers jockeying to get to the two exits.

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence construction: I-95, 6/10 lane closures at night this weekend

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