The finishing touches are being applied to the new Exit 20 ramp from Route 95 south, taking traffic to Route 195 east. Starting tomorrow, the old left-hand Exit 20 will be closed, and all traffic to East Providence will use the new right-hand Exit 20.

The Providence Journal / Bill Murphy

PROVIDENCE — Officials at the state Department of Transportation have an important message for motorists who may be heading south this weekend on Route 95 and connecting to Route 195 east: Think right! Think right! Think right!

As the sun rises tomorrow morning, drivers, who have been accustomed to veering left onto Route 195 for more than a half century, will be forced to take Exit 20 farther along on the right side of Route 95, past Crossroads Rhode Island on Broad Street, which will connect them into the eastbound interstate that will led lead them to East Providence, Seekonk and other East Bay communities.

The former left-hand turn to Route 195 will be blocked with Jersey barriers and fluorescent orange barrels.

The major rerouting, part of the $610-million, 10-year Route 195 relocation project, known as the Iway, will be the most significant change to date. About 180,000 motorists a day will be rerouted to Exit 20 and the eastbound highway.

DOT officials are hoping that the changing of old habits will not be too difficult.

“We have to get motorists to understand that the new Exit 20 is on the right side of the road,” said Frank Corrao III, DOT’s deputy chief engineer. “There will be an adjustment period. We’re expecting delays and congestion for the first couple of days. But, in the long term, it’s going to be an extreme benefit.”

At 10 a.m. today, Governor Carcieri will open the new route at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Plain Street on ramp.

The new route will get plenty of wear this weekend. Christmas shoppers will be out in force and thousands of basketball fans will head to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center tomorrow for the Providence College showdown against the University of Rhode Island.

The route to the game will remain the same, but after the game motorists heading east will now have to take Exit 20 to head home. Eventually, the old turn to Route 195, as well as the downtown section of the highway, will be demolished.

If you rely on your global positioning system on your dashboard, you had better think twice. DOT officials said that the two primary software carriers of GPS systems have yet to update the Exit 20 improvement.

A tour of the new eastbound highway this week highlighted a number of improvements. First, traffic on Service Road 7 that passes the Providence Public Safety Complex that runs parallel to Route 95 can gain entry to Route 195 from the new Plain Street on-ramp. In the past, motorists had to take the narrow Friendship Street ramp and head east. Inevitably, traffic would back up and motorists had a hard time merging onto the eastbound highway.

DOT officials predict that the Exit 20 route will make it easier for motorists merging onto Route 95 south from Routes 146 and 6. Instead of cutting across several lanes to make it to Route 195, drivers can stay right and take Exit 20.

Charles St. Martin III, a DOT spokesman, said the new on-ramp will allow thousands of doctors, nurses and personnel at the Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital complex to gain easy access to Route 195. In recent years, the construction has forced motorists to seek alternate routes, such as passing through Davol Square and getting on the highway on the east side of the Point Street bridge.

DOT officials also will open a fifth lane on the Washington Bridge that has been shut down for more than 1½ years. The opening of the eastbound lane completes the resurfacing project on the west and eastbound lanes of Route 195.

In the coming weeks, the narrow catwalk on the bridge, which connected India Point Park to the East Bay Bike Path, will reopen. This was a favorite route of runners, cyclists and pedestrians heading between East Providence and the East Side of Providence.

One area where there might be some inconvenience is the Wickenden Street and India Point neighborhoods in Fox Point. The DOT is permanently closing Exits 1 and 2 on the eastbound lanes of Route 195.

The new Iway Exit 2, which will take motorists to Gano Street/India Street, leads them to a new drive behind Wickenden Street. In recent weeks, the DOT has posted bright orange signs that point drivers to Fox Point, Wickenden Street and College Hill.

Two Wickenden Street merchants said they were never told about this weekend’s exit closings and they are concerned that it could affect business, especially during the holiday season.

“Is that going to affect me for Christmas? Absolutely,” said David O’Brien, owner of Picture This Framing Center and Gallery on Wickenden Street. “There is nothing from the state to reach out for the merchant base at all.”

Across the street, Marc Adler, co-owner of Adler’s Hardware, which has been in business since 1919, said he hopes the state provides good, clear signs to direct motorists to the eclectic shopping district that features several restaurants, coffee houses and funky shops. “It’s something we’re going to have to live with and we don’t know if it’s going to be positive or negative until the dust settles,” he said.

Next up? In late spring, the DOT plans to open the new westbound Route 195 highway that will merge with Route 95 north and south.

bmalinow@projo.com