EG / NK Border Road Construction Nearing Completion

It's been a rough ride on portions of Route 2 and Route 1 at the East Greenwich / North Kingstown borders for a few weeks, but it is coming to an end.

Crews were resurfacing the Park-and-Ride near the onramp to Route 4 Saturday. The resurfacing on Route 2 (South County Trail / Quaker Lane) will start Tuesday.

According to the state Department of Transportation, the crews need 10 days to complete the project and will be working overnights from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m.  

The tentative schedule is Tuesday-Thursday, Nov. 8-10, Thursday, Nov. 13-17, and Sunday and Monday Nov. 20 and 21.

DOT says paving is weather dependent and there could be schedule changes.

Over the summer, the 2.2-mile segement from the Route 4 interchange to Route 102 (Ten Rod Road) was restriped from four lanes to three to gauge reaction from locals and motorists. 

According to , DOT originally wanted to reduce the segment from four lanes to two, but added a turning lane in response to local opinion.

The NK Patch story said that with Route 4 now carrying the bulk of the traffic a lane reduction on Route 2 could be implemented without causing congestion.  Route 4 was built in the late 1980s.

Work on paving projects on Route 1 is under way and should be completed in the coming week. A section from Austin Road to School Street in North Kingstown has been paved and the next step is paving the Post Road / Frenchtown Road intersection.

Crews are scheduled to work nights Sunday through Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

In the NK Patch story on the Route 2 lane reduction, it was reported Route 1A from Wickford to the Route 138 interchange was reduced from four lanes to two in 1994 and Route 2 in East Greenwich from Division to the light at Stanley Bostitch was reduced from four lanes to two in 1998.