The Providence Viaduct refers to the two 4-lane bridges in each direction of
Interstate 95 (I-95) that passes through downtown
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
, in the United States. The structure passes over the
Woonasquatucket River
The Woonasquatucket River (pronounced , Algonquian languages, Algonquian for "where the salt water ends"), sometimes called "the Woony", is a river in the United States, U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately U.S. Geological Su ...
and
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
lines. It also connects with
Interstate 195,
U.S. Route 6 (US 6), and
Route 146. The bridge was built in 1964 and rehabilitated in 1992.
, the bridge is functionally obsolete and rapidly deteriorating. Several of the support beams have crumbled significantly to reveal the steel girders underneath. Additionally, the lower part of the deck has had to be boarded to prevent fragments of the bridge from landing on the streets and railway tracks under the viaduct. In 2019, the State secured $200 Million to rebuild and widen parts of the Viaduct.
Given the number of major roads that merge on the Providence Viaduct (I-95, I-195, US 6, and Route 146) and its poor layout, it has frequent accidents and is responsible for much of the traffic jams on I-95.
References
Bridges in Providence County, Rhode Island
Bridges on the Interstate Highway System
Road bridges in Rhode Island
Interstate 95
U.S. Route 6
Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System
Steel bridges in the United States
Girder bridges in the United States
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