I-195 will close in both directions overnight Nov. 6 in East Providence for a bridge demolition
Detours run through Warren Avenue and Broadway in East Providence, three westbound on-ramps will close, and lane closures may begin after 8 p.m.
SOUTH COAST Interstate 195 will close in both directions near the Taunton Avenue exit in East Providence for about 12 hours starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, so crews can demolish the Potter Street Bridge over the highway. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation expects some lanes to reopen by 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, and all lanes by noon.
For drivers heading between the South Coast and Providence, that means a night of detours off the highway. RIDOT is asking drivers to plan ahead, put off any trip that can wait and find another route during the closure. Lane closures leading up to the full shutdown may begin after 8 p.m.
The detours
Eastbound drivers will leave I-195 at Exit 1D for Warren Avenue, turn left at the end of the ramp, follow Warren Avenue for about a mile and turn left onto the on-ramp back to I-195 East. Exits 1B and 1C, for Veterans Memorial Parkway and Taunton Avenue, stay open.
Westbound drivers will take Exit 2 for Broadway, turn left at the end of the ramp, turn right onto Warren Avenue and, in about three-quarters of a mile, turn right onto the Warren Avenue on-ramp toward I-195 West. That ramp is closed now, and RIDOT is opening it temporarily for the detour.
Three on-ramps to I-195 West will be closed during the work: from Warren Avenue westbound at the East Shore Expressway, from Pawtucket Avenue in both directions and from Broadway southbound. RIDOT says local drivers in East Providence trying to reach I-195 East or West should follow the signed detours it will set up along the city's major roads.
Changes on Warren Avenue and Broadway
Warren Avenue will carry the detour between the I-195 East off-ramp near the Comedy Connection and the I-195 East on-ramp near South County Street. On that stretch, local traffic will be restricted from crossing Warren Avenue, and only right turns will be allowed from Warren Avenue onto side streets. Pawtucket Avenue and Waterfront Drive will be the only north and south crossings, with RIDOT and local and state police helping at the crossings.
Parking will be banned on that section of Warren Avenue, and drivers on Pawtucket Avenue will not be allowed to turn onto Warren Avenue westbound. Broadway will be closed between Freeborn Avenue and Warren Avenue; RIDOT's detour flyer lists that closure as northbound. Emergency vehicles will travel in the center of Warren Avenue and can also reach the detour ramp to I-195 West from Taunton Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
RIDOT says to expect noise from the nighttime demolition.
Why one long night
The state chose a single full closure because of how the bridge is built. Taking it down in phases would have required bracing supports and a series of lane closures that would have slowed traffic for much longer, RIDOT said.
The Potter Street Bridge is part of the Washington Bridge rebuild. RIDOT plans to rebuild it over the next 12 to 18 months so the highway below can be widened. When the work is done, I-195 West will have four continuous lanes from the Broadway interchange to the Washington Bridge, plus a fifth lane leading to a new off-ramp at Waterfront Drive. The state says the added lanes should ease the westbound backups that have long stretched toward the Massachusetts line. RIDOT expects the new Potter Street Bridge to open in summer 2028.
Until then, drivers who use Potter Street will cross I-195 on the Purchase Street Bridge next door, which RIDOT says adds about a minute between Warren Avenue and Cobb Street. People on foot can use School Street, Purchase Street and Freeborn Street.
Before you go
RIDOT says the schedule can change because of weather and other conditions. Updates are at ridot.net and on RIDOTnews, the agency's Facebook and X accounts. Questions about the closure go to RIDOT's outreach staff, Jim Pratt at 401-714-6845 and Kara Langelier at 401-786-1738.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact comes from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation: its Oct. 23 travel advisory, the same notice as the Town of Seekonk posted it on Oct. 28, and RIDOT's own closure flyer attached to that post. We read all three on Oct. 28. The advisory does not say which direction of Broadway closes; the flyer says northbound. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar: Nov. 6 is a Friday and Nov. 7 is a Saturday. Not heard yet: RIDOT, on whether the closure has a weather date.
Corrections
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Sources (3)
- Rhode Island Department of Transportation, "Travel Advisory Reminder: Two Weeks Until Overnight Closure of I-195 for Potter Street Bridge Demolition in East Providence on November 6-7"RIDOT's own release: the closure times and reopening, the reason for one closure, the detours, the Warren Avenue and Broadway changes, the closed on-ramps, the signed local detours and the summer 2028 reopening. Released Oct. 23, 2026. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
- Town of Seekonk, "Overnight Closure of I-195 on November 6"RIDOT's closure notice as the town posted it: times, reopening, detours, Warren Avenue and Broadway changes, the closed on-ramps, the reason for one closure, the Potter Street Bridge rebuild and the summer 2028 reopening. Posted Oct. 28, 2026. Read Oct. 28, 2026.
- Rhode Island Department of Transportation, "Detour for Temporary I-195 Closure in East Providence" (PDF, English and Portuguese)RIDOT's own flyer linked from the Seekonk post: the closure, the Warren Avenue rules (right turns only onto side streets), Broadway closed northbound, emergency access, nighttime demolition noise and the outreach contacts. Read Oct. 28, 2026.