RIDOT: Rte. 2 Lane Closes Friday Near BJs Brewhouse

WARWICK, RI — Starting Friday night, March 20, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will close the right lane on Rte. 2 North near BJs Brewhouse.

The work is part of an ongoing multi-bridge repair and replacement project which will require traffic changes on Rte. 2 and I-295 in Warwick. The project will begin by focusing on the Bald Hill Road Bridges over Rte. 2 near Warwick Mall and the Pawtuxet River Bridge South Bridges that carry I-295 over the Pawtuxet River.

The schedule and affected lanes are as follows:

Friday, March 20: The right lane on Route 2 North will be closed near the I-295 overpass (in the area of BJs Restaurant). The lane will reopen just before the on-ramp to I-295 North.

Friday, March 27: All travel lanes on I-295 North and South on the Pawtuxet River Bridge South Bridges will shift to the left. The bridges are located between Exit 1A (Route 113) and Exit 1B (Route 2).

All nearby on and off-ramps will remain open, as will access to all businesses.

Bald Hill Road / Rte. 2 Bridges Replaced Via Accelerated Construction

The Bald Hill Road Bridges will be rehabilitated and the Pawtuxet River Bridge South Bridges will be replaced using accelerated bridge construction methods. The project also includes rapid replacement of the two bridges carrying I-295 North and South over West Natick Road.

All these bridges were built in the late 1960s. They carry 48,000 vehicles per day. The entire $76.6 million project will be done in summer 2028.

All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.

The rehabilitation and replacement work for these bridges is made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s effort to bring Rhode Island’s infrastructure into a state of good repair.

Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.