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DOT Closes Exit 8 on Rte. 95 South, Rte. 2 Ramp to 95 South (DETOURS)

Warwick, RI – If you’ve been driving past exit 8 on Rte. 95 North or on Rte. 2 near Showcase Cinemas lately, you may have noticed the DOT’s work on a new bridge at Barton Corner.

Starting during Monday’s commute, that work is going to close exit 8 on Rte. 95 south (affecting access to Route 2 North only; access to Route 2 South will be available) and the Rte. 95 south on-ramp from Rte. 2 North. Those changes will last for about 11 days, according to the DOT.

Access to I-95 South from Route 2 North will be available via the on-ramp from Route 2 South. A temporary traffic signal will be in place. The on-ramp from Route 2 South to I-95 South and I-95 North Exit 8A (Route 2 South) will remain open at all times.

Rte. 2 north and south (from Division Street in East Greenwich to just south of James P. Murphy Industrial Highway in West Warwick) will be closed for bridge demolition Tuesday 10 p.m. through the Wednesday morning commute.

That stretch of Rte. 2 north and south will close again Friday from noon through the afternoon commute.

The Barton Corner Bridge carries four lanes of Rte. 95 plus two auxiliary lanes at a busy interchange with Rte. 2 on the Warwick/West Warwick line. It provides direct access to the New England Institute of Technology; another limited access highway called Rte. 4, the main access to South County; and one of Rhode Island’s busiest retail corridors.

The bridge, built in 1958, was last updated in 1976. The bridge’s piers and foundation are showing advanced deterioration. The DOT has added steel shoring to support the bridge, maintaining its carrying capacity. The bridge has also suffered damage to main girders after being struck by over-height trucks, requiring lane shifts for I-95 North and South.

Using a method called accelerated bridge construction, D’Ambra Construction of Warwick, R.I. will build two halves of the bridge on land adjacent to the overpass, moving them into place when ready. The bridge will be complete in half the time using the accelerated method.

The work is contracted to D’Ambra for  $6.4 million.

Detours:

Rte. 2 north to I-95 south:

    • Move into the left lane approaching the closed on-ramp.
    • Turn left at a temporary traffic signal for I-95 South

Rte. 4 north to I-95 south:

The closure of the on-ramp on Route 2 North will affect you if you’re heading up Route 4 North and trying to reach I-95 South. Take Exit 8B for Division Street West, then turn right onto Route 2 North as you usually do. Look for a temporary on-ramp on the left, just north of the closed ramp.

    • Take Exit 8B for Division Street West
    • Turn right onto Route 2 North
    • Move into the left lane approaching the closed on-ramp.
    • Turn left at a temporary traffic signal for I-95 South

Partial closure of Rte. 95 south exit 8 to Rte. 2 north

    • Take Exit 9 for Route 4 South
    • Take the Division Street exit
    • Turn left onto Division Street
    • Turn right on Route 2 North

Full closure of Rte. 95 south exit 8 to Rte. 2 north 

This ramp will be closed for five days during installation of the new Rte. 95 south bridge, Aug. 23-28. It also will be closed during the four one-day closures of Rte. 2 on Aug. 19, 22, 24 and 26. At all other times, the ramp will remain open for access to Rte. 2 south only.

If you’re heading south on Rte. 2, take Exit 9 for Rte. 4 south, and then take the first off-ramp for Division Street to reach Rte. 2 north. If you miss Exit 9, you can reverse direction at Exit 7 and take I-95 North to Exit 8A.

    • Take Exit 9 for Route 4 South
    • Take the Division Street exit
    • Turn left onto Division Street
    • Turn left for Route 2 South
Rob Borkowski
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 [email protected] with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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