The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced that a third bypass lane on the westbound side of the Washington Bridge was open on Saturday morning.
According to WJAR, the construction efforts began on Friday night and the lane was completed hours later.
Crashes have tripled on the Washington Bridge in the last three months after a third lane was added on the eastbound side, opening traffic on both sides, WJAR reported.
RIDOT advised drivers to follow these guidelines for the bypass lane:
- The speed limit has been reduced to 40 MPH.
- Lanes have been narrowed to be 10 feet wide.
- Trucks must use the far-right lane, which is 11 feet wide.
The third lane was initially opening on Interstate 195 west Monday. However, this week, the Department of Transportation said it was coming sooner than expected.
The westbound side of the bridge was shut down on Dec. 11 because of a "critical failure of some bridge components."
Last month, McKee announced that the westbound span of the bridge must be replaced.
The Washington Bridge carries I-195 over the Seekonk River from Providence to East Providence and serves as a key gateway to Rhode Island's largest city. It carries close to 100,000 vehicles every day.
