New Traffic Pattern Coming To Route 2

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — An additional lane is being added to part of Route 2 to increase safety and make it easier to make left turns on the road. Also called South County Trail, the road runs from Route 102 in North Kingstown to Route 138 in South Kingstown. The additional lane is expected to be completed by next week.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, crews will be changing the current lane pattern during evening and overnight hours, causing alternating lane closures, with the project set to be finished by the week of May 19.

The lane change is being implemented to address the high crash rate along the nearly seven-mile road. From 2012 to 2016, RIDOT recorded 273 crashes, with 87 reported injuries and one fatality.

The road is wide enough to accommodate the additional lane, with the existing lanes being slightly narrowed. There will still be plenty of room in the breakdown lane to allow for bicyclists and bus stops, RIDOT said.