2 Lanes To Close On Westminster Street Bridge In Providence

PROVIDENCE, RI — More changes are coming to the Route 6/10 area of Providence. Starting next week, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation will close one lane of Westminster Street, where it crosses over Routes 6 and 10.

The closure is needed for ongoing work on the bridge, which is structurally deficient. It is one of seven that are being replaced as part of the $410 million Route 6/10 Interchange Project.

Starting Monday, two of the westbound lanes will close. Traffic delays are expected in the area, so drivers are asked to avoid the area if possible or leave extra time for travel. Just one lane is currently open on the eastbound side after one lane was closed in fall 2018.

The closure will also affect large trucks, who will not longer be able to turn left turn on the off-ramp from Route 10 North to Westminster Street. Instead, trucks will be detoured right onto Westminster Street, then left onto Tobey Street and left onto Broadway to get to Olneyville Square.

The lane closures will be in place for about a year, RIDOT said, allowing crews to build the northern side of the new bridge. All lanes are expected to reopen within two years, when the reconstruction is scheduled to be finished.

More information on the ongoing Route 6/10 project is available on RIDOT's website.