SAFETY CONGESTION PAVEMENT CONDITION CLARITY OF SIGNING AESTHETICS
4 4 6 6 5
A tale of two roads: I-95 has just four lanes from the Connecticut border to Providence, and is actually quite boring. From Providence to the Massachusetts border, I-95 has six or more lanes, and has lots of exits spaced close together. The road itself is your typical Northeastern urban freeway. Construction of the I-195 interchange should help, but for now that area is quite dangerous to get through. In my opinion the road could stand an extra two lanes for its entire length.
Reviewed by: Steve Anderson Last Traveled: 2002
SAFETY CONGESTION PAVEMENT CONDITION CLARITY OF SIGNING AESTHETICS
4 5 6 5 6
From the Connecticut-Rhode Island border north to EXIT 9 (RI 4 / Colonel Rodman Highway), I-95 is a peaceful rural freeway. However, it is slightly congested. An additional lane in each direction would alleviate this congestion.
Things change rapidly at the merge with RI 4, where two additional lanes from the South County beaches interact with I-95 through traffic. There is an option for through traffic to leave at the I-295 interchange just ahead, but most of the traffic continues north along I-95.
The ride through downtown Providence into Pawtucket is simply a mess. Through these two cities, I-95 is a congested urban freeway of 1950's and early 1960's design. Construction through downtown Providence and the hairpin curves through Pawtucket make following the posted 45 to 50 MPH speed limits an absolute necessity.
