The Rhode Island Department of Transportation plans to remove the split-lane traffic pattern this weekend on Route 95 south, shortly after Exit 6 (Route 3) in West Greenwich, the department said in a news release Friday.

The department planned for one lane of travel to be closed overnight Friday night on Route 95 south, and to reopen by 6 a.m. Saturday to make the change.

The DOT is doing the work on a weekend to achieve its goal of removing the split-lane pattern before the holiday season, the release said. The project is presently several months ahead of schedule.

Motorists will still find lanes shifted to the left on both Route 95 north and south at the project for the next several months. The DOT has been shifting and splitting travel lanes on this part of Route 95 to allow for the reconstruction of the Weaver Hill Road Bridge.

As part of the work, the DOT will close the right lane on Route 95 south, and Weaver Hill Road completely, to local traffic at 9 p.m. Sunday to safely demolish a portion of the old bridge. All lanes will be restored by 5:30 a.m. Monday, the department said.

The removal of the split-lane traffic pattern will eliminate the need for an oversize-truck detour route along Route 3.

The $4.4-million project began earlier this year and is scheduled to be completed in spring 2011, the department said. The project involves the rehabilitation and widening of two separate bridge structures that carry Route 95 north and south over Weaver Hill Road, approximately 1 mile south of Exit 6. The bridges are more than 40 years old.

Journal Staff