Interstate 295 Massachusetts / Rhode Island
Overview
Interstate 295 serves as a western bypass of Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The freeway loop had also been proposed to extend east and southward from the north end at Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Rhode Island DOT will renumber all interchanges along Interstate 295 from I-95 at Warwick north to the Massachusetts border at Cumberland. Costing $340,000, the resigning commences from north to south in early November 2017 and will wrap up by the year’s end. The Rhode Island 146 freeway will be resigned in 2018, adding mileage based exit numbers to its currently unnumbered interchange array. All remaining freeways using the sequential system will be converted by 2020.1 See the Rhode Island Highway Exit Renumbering Program web page for more details.
High Priority Corridor
Interstate 295 is part of High Priority Corridor 60: Providence Beltline Corridor.
History
Interstate 295 was planned in 1960, with construction commencing in 1965. Work on the freeway finished in June 1975.2
Dan Moraseski writes that current Interstate 295 was always planned as I-295. The beltway east of Interstate 95 was later changed to Interstate 895 though, perhaps when transportation officials realized it would not extend straight across I-95 at the south intersection.
The original plan for the beltway originated along Rhode Island 37, likely at Interstate 295, and took the route east across the Providence River. From there the loop turned north along the East Shore Expressway to Rhode Island 114 and further to the north end of Interstate 295. Later it was planned to travel roughly along Rhode Island 138 and Multi State Route 136 from I-95 to I-195.
A $6 million project realigned the ramp from Interstate 95 south to I-295 south in Attleboro to both improve geometric deficiencies and reduce truck roll overs. The project replaced the original ramp designed to accommodate a loop ramp from unconstructed I-895 north to I-95 south. Work commenced in July 2015 and was completed in spring 2017.3,4
Route Information
North End – Attleboro, MA
South End – Warwick, RI
Mileage – 26.58
Mileage
Rhode Island – 22.35
Cities – Providence, Cranston
- Junctions –
Massachusetts – 4.23
Cities – Attleboro
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2017 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-295 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Location | Vehicles per day |
---|---|
I-95 to Exit 1 | 46,400 |
Exits 1 to 2 | 52,400 |
Exits 2 to 3 | 52,600 |
Exits 3 to 4 | 73,400 |
Exits 4 to 5 | 78,600 |
Exits 5 to 6 | 79,700 |
Exits 6 to 7 | 66,000 |
Exits 7 to 8 | 51,100 |
Exits 8 to 9 | 45,900 |
Exits 9 to 10 | 45,700 |
Exits 10 to 11 | 50,300 |
Exits 11 to MA line | 43,700 |
Exits 1 to 2 | 34,700 (2001) |
Source: Traffic Flow Map 2002 (Rhode Island Department of Transportation)
Mass Highway Traffic Volume Counts (2002)
Completed sections of Interstate 295 in 1969 extended north from I-95 to R.I. 37 at Cranston and west from Attleboro, Massachusetts to R.I. 146 at Lincoln.
Highway Guides
North End
– Attleboro, Massachusetts
South End
– Warwick, Rhode Island
Sources:
- “Rhode Island set to renumber all highway exits.” Providence Journal (RI), October 4, 2017.
- Interstate 295-Rhode Island (Boston Roads).
- “Rebuilding roads: Major area highway projects set to begin within a year.” Sun Chronicle, The (North Attleboro, MA), June 15, 2015.
- Project 606733: Attleboro – Ramp Reconstruction & Realignment, from Route I-95 (SB) to Route I-295 (SB) https://hwy.massdot.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=606733. massDOT web site.
Page updated October 12, 2017.