I-195 Gano Street Exit To Reopen

PROVIDENCE, RI — After more than a year, Exit 3 on Interstate 195 in Providence is set to reopen. On Thursday, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced the exit will open overnight and will be ready for traffic by the morning commute.

The ramp will remain open while the department conducts traffic studies for the area ahead of planned construction on the Washington Bridge. The redesign "envisions a design that will offer better routes to the same destinations on the East Side of Providence while improving safety and traffic flow on I-195 West," according to a release.

The pending plan will include a new interchange leading directly to Waterfront Drive in East Providence, coordinated with scheduled work on the Henderson Bridge. When finished, the bridge will connect with Waterfront Drive and allow easier access to the East Side.

The Gano Street exit has been closed since last August to allow for preliminary construction on the Washington Bridge. This week, RIDOT finished paving on Gano Street near the base of the ramp, part of a separate, $3.2 million project to connect Gano Street and India Street, as well as create a new bike path under the bridge, connecting to the Blackstone River Bikeway. This project will be finished by next summer, the department said.

The department is investing millions in the redevelopment projects, including $70 million for the Washington Bridge project and $88.5 million for the Henderson Bridge. A pending $25 million BUILD grant, submitted this summer, could help cover the costs of the first project, while the second is bolstered by $54.5 million in federal funding from a spending law by Senator Jack Reed.

Construction schedules have been planned to minimize traffic disruptions as much as possible in the already crowded area, on both the highway and local roads. The Henderson Bridge project is set to get underway next spring and is set to be complete within three years. At this time, there is no set schedule for the Washington Bridge project.