Rhode Island Roads - RI 5, 5/104

RI 5 and 5/104



I have never seen the "bound" added to a guide sign before. This is on RI 5 Northbound.


SB at Wilbur Ave., which curls around under I-95 and back north to the beginning of RI 37.


The fourth RI 51 shield I have seen, and only the second still around, southbound at RI 12. 12 is Phenix Ave. here, but 51 takes over that road and is town-maintained for its entire length.


Typical old RIDOT bridge. These are on the northern and southern ends of the west side parapet.


Someone got a little loopy when they designed those 6's, and then proceeded to super-unsize the arrows. This is northbound.


Looks a little better in the southbound direction, if by "better" you mean "narrow RIDOT shield and stretched 2di shield inside a 3di sign cutout." Yep, somehow the contractor managed to cut that shield to the correct shape, but couldn't make the right shield fit inside.


I guess all highways in Rhode Island are technically state highway routes, or else this RI 6 overpass sign would make no sense.


Third time's the charm for me finally getting a photograph of this beautiful old northbound sign.


Photos from the RI 5/104/116 multiplex. Yes, I put a 116 in there. I think the contractor forgot because the old RI 104 shield is from the through route (116 turns twice, 5 turns once), and the new RI 5/104 shields are for the fact that RI 5 and 104 multiplex to the north. I don't care how short the triplex is, RI 116 still deserves mention. The second photo is where RI 116 NB leaves RI 5/104 NB; on its old signs, RIDOT just tried to make everything fit.


Bridge #202 is just off of RI 5/104 after they leave the short RI 7 triplex in North Smithfield. You won't find it just by driving, though. It's on the Pond House Road west leg, and as you may notice, it doesn't have legs anymore.


The western side of Bridge #202, which does have gravel on it but has enough plants to clue you in that the Pond House Road intersection with Greenville Road has changed over the course of eight decades. There must have been a problem many years ago with the bridge that wasn't worth replacing it, or possibly its location just around a curve made it too dangerous to keep open. I don't know the cause, I can only see the effect now.


Now the eastern side of the bridge, which crosses the Woonasquatucket River (thanks Shawn DeCesari) and then beyond it to some other structure that spans the creek coming out of Primrose Pond. I don't have the slightest clue what the second structure was for - possibly a sidewalk, constructed after the original bridge?


Providence Pike NB, aka the Branch Pike. It Branches from the Douglas Pike, RI 7, which indeed leads to Providence. One size does not fit all, or actually, it fits more than is needed.


Northbound at the beginning of RI 102 and a short duplex with RI 146A, and then southbound on that duplex at the same point. RI 5 is not signed to the north, even though it officially goes there.

Onto RI 104 alone

Onto RI 37
To I-95
To I-295
Onto US 6
Onto RI 116
Onto RI 146A
Onto RI 102
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