New Road Signs, Exit Numbers Coming To Route 146

SMITHFIELD, RI — Some major changes are coming to all of Route 146, which runs in Rhode Island from Providence to the Massachusetts border. Over the next two years, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation will be replacing all highway signs, which are old and do not meet current standards.

The new signs will be fully reflective, replacing the current signs which are worn and difficult to see, especially at night. The biggest change will be to the exit numbers, which will be changed to mile-markers rather than consecutive numbers to meet with federal requirements laid out by the Federal Highway Administration. RIDOT has been changing over the state's highway signs since 2017, combining them with already-existing sign replacement projects whenever possible.

The first phase of the project, starting now, will replace the signs from the Lincoln-North Smithfield line to the border of Massachusetts. The $3.1 million project is expected to be finished by this fall. Renumbering will begin along all of Route 146 on July 1.

The second phase of the project will begin next summer and last until the end of 2021, costing $6.4 million. In total, approximately 150 signs will be replaced along the entire length of the highway.

The mile-marker numbering system is now a federal requirement for highways. The Federal Highways Administration said the system is better than traditional consecutive numbers because it lets drivers know how far they need to drive before they reach their exit while also allowing for easier highway expansions, as the entire highway does not need to be renumbered to accommodate new exits.

More information on the project and an interactive map of the new exit numbers is available on RIDOT's website.