Hole in the Providence Viaduct on I-95 N is leaking water onto the street below

A large hole in the I-95 N bridge known as the Providence Viaduct (two 4-lane bridges in front of the Providence Place Mall) is leaking water onto West Exchange Street below.

The Providence Viaduct project was started in 2020 and is to be completed in 2025 with a projected cost of $265 million.

This project will replace the 1,295-foot-long northbound section of the Providence Viaduct Bridge, which carries I-95 over multiple local roads, highway ramps, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, and the Woonasquatucket River. Handling more than 220,000 vehicles daily, it is the busiest section of I-95 in Rhode Island and one of the most heavily trafficked highway bridges on the East Coast.

The plan includes building a new collector-distributor (C-D) road along the right side of the interstate to eliminate weaving conflicts and reduce congestion between the 6/10 Connector, downtown on-ramps, and the Route 146/State Offices interchange.

The project also reconfigures ramps to separate conflicting traffic movements, improving safety, comfort, and travel efficiency. The redesigned ramp system will streamline connections among I-95, the 6/10 Connector, and Route 146, alleviating long-standing congestion caused by merging and exiting traffic in this area.

An earlier design proposed reusing the existing bridge during construction, but the winning Skanska/Manafort proposal offered a faster and more cost-effective solution, saving approximately one year of construction time and $1 million.