Rhode Island Roads - US 1A/44/RI 114

, US 1A/44, US 1A/RI 114


US 1A begins in Norwood, heading over to Narragansett Bay and skirting the south side of Providence. After joining I-195 for a mostly unsigned ride across the Seekonk River (aka the Blackstone or Pawtucket River), US 1A heads due north through the east side of Pawtucket, and then enters Massachuetts... as MA 1A! I don't think that discrepancy is intentional, I just think MassHighway doesn't believe that a route as hodgepodge as US 1A could possibly be a US route. For example, the shields atop this page are not on US 1A at all. They used to be, a few decades ago. They're at the end of Post Road (NB, first photo) and along Broad St. (SB, second photo), where they meet Narragansett Parkway. US 1A of course once followed Post Road a few decades ago, instead of turning off as it does now at the photos below this caption. Originally, US 1A followed Broad Street up to Norwood Ave., while RI 117 followed Warwick Ave. into Broad St.; now US 1A turns on Warwick Ave. with RI 117 needlessly.


And when RIDOT does get the type of route right, it doesn't put the shields in the right place! These are at the end of Post Road (NB, first photo) and Broad St. (SB, second photo), where they meet Narragansett Parkway. US 1A of course followed Post Road a few decades ago to its very end, instead of turning off as it does now, and so these signs were actually directing traffic properly. As I mentioned above, US 1A followed Broad Street up to Norwood Ave., while RI 117 followed Warwick Ave. into Broad St.; now US 1A turns on Warwick Ave. with RI 117 needlessly.


US 1A went from a two-lane undivided road to a two- and then four-lane divided and then undivided road here, around the southern Providence border. Before the freeway was complete through RI, I-95 NB used to rise out of the median, over the wall of rocks in the background, and up to its present level, hence the change in number of lanes at this exact point in I-95 as well as the unused green space. In the mid-2000's, the rocks were removed, and 1A was reconfigured to eliminate the median and the evidence of I-95's roots.


If you can't see old I-95 anymore, at least you can see new I-195 quite well from Allens Ave. (US 1A). This is looking eastward at the new Providence River Bridge (that's the name I get from RIDOT, anyway).


New ramps flying overhead, and strange traffic configurations, looking southward.


Possibly the only US highway with railroad tracks in the middle. Not even trolley tracks, railroad tracks. They're not in use, though.


More I-195 ramps, northbound on US 1A.


Yep, still more ramps. Hey, I have enough photos on the I-195 page as it is.


Does this predate the paving of this road? It certainly must predate the designation of US 1A, and yes, the words "RAIL ROAD CROSSING" are written just as they are nowadays, as you can see in the second (closeup) photo. I really don't see why the crossbucks would be up that high, as not even the tallest horse-and-buggy would afford a good glimpse of the sign. The tracks are long gone, by the way (only the ones in the middle of the road remain, as you saw above), so the only reason this sign is still here is because RIDOT is lazy.

The Point Street Bridge, looking north. There was once, long long ago, an overhead bypass of the Eddy St./Point St. intersection, carrying US 1A directly onto the bridge. I'm sure it was taken down for structural reasons (at least partly), but with I-95 and I-195, there was no more pressing traffic-related need for it anyway.


Another shot of the new I-195 bridge, this time from the Point St. Bridge.


Point St. EB leading away from US 1A (which turns toward I-195) and through the remains of old I-195. Photos taken January 2010, though it's taking many years to get this last bit of highway removed (still there in 2011).


The view from Point St. WB, which once had an onramp here to I-195 WB and I-95.


As an interim condition, US 1A SB still left from old I-195 instead of the new route in 2010. By now, I'm sure it uses the new ramp that comes in south of Point St. so that 1A just turns left. But back then, 1A SB came off the ramp (forced off - that's the last traffic allowed on the old structure), turned left on James St., and quickly left again at the orange hospital sign (where a plain blue assembly would suffice). Now on Water St., there's a view of the Point St. Bridge and the former I-195 EB onramp from Water St. In the last photo, that former onramp flies over while the former EB offramp comes down to the left.


US 1A NB jumps onto the Interstate here, not that there have been any US 1A shields for quite some time, nor will there be until Exit 8. RIDOT accidentally stuck a 2-digit shield on a 3-digit blank. US 44 EB also jumps on here.


Here's that run I mentioned where US 1A SB and US 44 WB follow former I-195 WB for half a mile to old Exit 2. Notice that only US 44 is signed at the exit. The remaining lane passes Our Lady of the Rosary Church and Point St. (where the rest of the overpass has been removed) before swooping down to Main St. US 44 continues straight, and US 1A U-turns onto Water St. as I mentioned above.


Skipping the I-195 multiplex (presented via the big link below), US 1A finally shows up on RI 114 SB, even if it's a bit odd-looking.


First northbound shield on the very short RI 152, which is about to enter Massachusetts, so why not do the shield MA-style and leave out the state initials?


Same problem southbound in the same spot times three, plus a new one - that should be US 1A, not RI 1A, and certainly not MA 1A. Also, the end isn't straight ahead. It's here. There is some signage that confuses whether RI 152 continues straight ahead on Broadway, although most of it is gone now. The best example is button copy on the Henderson Bridge's eastern stub end.

Onto US 44 alone
Onto RI 114 alone
More I-195 construction, and US 1A/I-195


Follow US 1A into MA
(as MA 1A, since if RIDOT can't get it straight, why should MassHighway?)
Onto US 1
Onto I-95
To US 6
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