INTERSTATE 195 (RHODE ISLAND-MASSACHUSETTS)

(Redirected from Interstate 195 (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

Major cities

History

Current Relocation Project

Exit list

Exits in Massachusetts

External links

References

Major cities

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

★ 'Providence, Rhode Island'

★ 'Fall River, Massachusetts'

★ 'New Bedford, Massachusetts'

★ 'Cape Cod, Massachusetts' (via Route 25)

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.

Current Relocation Project

Interstate 195's stretch through Providence is currently 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. The new stretch of highway is being called the Iway by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and will include a signature bridge over the Providence River and 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 and be completed in 2012.^[1]
See www.dot.state.ri.us/projects/construction/195intro.htm[2] for more information.

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/US 6 West – Boston, Hartford	Entry to 195 also available from Friendship Street.
	1	0.4	Downtown Providence	No westbound exit.
	2	0.7	East: Wickenden Street – India Point West: US 44 West (South Main Street)	To US 1A South (not signed)
	join
	3	1.1	Gano St – India Point
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	Route 114 South – Barrington	Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only East Shore Expressway	★ ★ Recently changed by the RI DOT
	8	3.2	US 6 East, US 1A North to Route 114 North and Route 103 – Pawtucket Avenue, Seekonk	Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only	★ ★ Recently changed by the RI DOT
	leaves
	leaves
MA-RI state line

Exits in Massachusetts

Exit #	Town/City	Road Intersected	Notes
continues into Rhode Island
Bristol County
1	Seekonk	Route 114A
2	Swansea	Route 136
3		to US 6 to Route 118
4	Somerset	Route 103, Lee's River Ave
5	Fall River	Route 79,Route 138	195 EB: Tunnel ahead, Haz-mat must exit
6		Plymouth Avenue	195 WB: Tunnel ahead, Haz-mat must exit
7		Route 81
8A		Route 24 SOUTH
8B		Route 24 NORTH
9	Westport	Sanford Street	Partial interchange: EB exit only, no entrances.
10		Route 88
11	Dartmouth	Reed Road
12		Faunce Corner Road
13	New Bedford	Route 140
14		Penniman Street	Partial interchange: EB exit/WB entrance only
15		Route 18 SOUTH	Partial interchange: Exit to 18 SB only. Access to 195 is from 18 NB only.
16		Washburn Street	Partial interchange: EB enter and exit only
17		Coggeshall Street	Partial interchange: WB enter and exit only
18	Fairhaven	Route 240
Plymouth County
19	Mattapoisett	North Street
20	Marion	Route 105
21	Wareham	Route 28
22		I-495 NORTH, Route 25 EAST
ends at

External links

★ RIDOT - Relocation of the I-95/I-195 Interchange

★ Kurumi

★ Bostonroads.com - East Providence Expressway

References