Highway Renumbering Begins On I-95 In Rhode Island

CRANSTON, RI — After several delays, the renumbering the highway exits on Interstate 95 in Rhode Island began Monday morning.

The first signs were installed by Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) crews overnight at the Pawtucket-Attleboro, Massachusetts border. RIDOT said it will renumber all exits from the Massachusetts border, through the Ocean State and to the Connecticut line.

The renumbering was originally supposed to begin on July 31, but it was delayed because of supply chain issues.

Rhode Island's highway exit number changes are happening to satisfy a federal mandate, which requires exits to be marked by miles, rather than sequential order.

"A mile-marker exit number system lets drivers know how far they need to travel to reach their desired off-ramp," a spokesperson for RIDOT said in a news release. "It also allows for easier expansion for future interchanges, since the entire highway would not have to be renumbered to accommodate a new exit number. RIDOT will install temporary signs indicating the old exit number and will leave them up for an extended period of time."