Gano St. Exit on I-195 to close long-term

By: Scott Cook

Email: scook@abc6.com

Twitter: @JScottCook

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Starting Sunday night, Exit 3 on I-195, the Gano Street exit, will be closing long–term so crews can begin construction on the northern half of the Washington Bridge.

The exit will remain closed until the fall of 2019.

Westbound drivers who use the Gano Street exit are asked to use a detour.

R.I. DOT wants them to go one exit further to S. Main Street, then hang a left onto Point Street, another left onto Water Street, and then follow India Street passed India Point Park and onto Gano Street.

"We chose this route because India Street is not used as heavily as some of the other city streets that we could have detoured traffic through," explained R.I. DOT director, Peter Alviti.

The ramp closure is part of a larger $22.3 million rehabilitation project on the Washington Bridge.

It will allow crews to re-enforce the bridge structure, lay a new deck, and lay new pavement over the deck.

"We will be rehabilitating the bridge to prolong its life for many more years,” said Alviti. “It was built in 1969, and with this kind of rehabilitation we can keep it operating for many years to come."

R.I. DOT says lanes will shift during construction, but they won’t be split like on I-95 earlier this summer.

The department estimates some 70,000 cars a day pass over the Washington Bridge, making it one of the most traveled bridge in the state.