10/21/2026
Coming soon we have scheduled demolition work for the Potter Street Bridge, which carries local traffic in East Providence over I-195, near the Taunton Avenue exit. To complete the demolition as quickly and as safely as possible, we need to temporarily close I-195 in both directions. Much of the closure will be during the overnight hours when traffic volumes are low, but work will extend into Saturday morning. We strongly recommend that people plan alternate routes and avoid traveling on I-195 during the closure times.
Here’s the schedule:
Friday, November 6: Lane closures begin at 9 p.m.; the full highway closure begins at 10 p.m.
Saturday, November 7: Lanes will begin opening by 10 a.m. and all lanes open by noontime.
For local traffic on I-195, we will have a detour route using Warren Avenue. Dedicated routes will be provided for emergency vehicle access. RIDOT has been in close coordination with local and regional public safety, including EMS services.
There also will be local road and ramp closures in East Providence during the closure. We expect traffic to be heaviest Saturday morning. Again, make plans to defer travel as much as possible during the closure times.
RIDOT examined alternatives to the full closure, however, the design of the Potter Street Bridge is such that phased demolition would require the installation of bracing supports and various lane closures which would impact traffic over a much longer period of time than this single closure event.
The Potter Street Bridge will be rebuilt to accommodate a wider highway corridor with additional travel lanes on I-195 West. This traffic improvement was included in the Washington Bridge Rebuild Project to help alleviate longstanding congestion on I-195 West, which has historically caused traffic to back up toward the Massachusetts state line.
You can find detailed information and detour maps on our website at www.ridot.net/195Closure.
