The beginning of RI 112, eastbound.


Two views of the western stub end of the RI 138 freeway at US 1, from the EB lanes and from the US 1 overpass. The freeway still might be extended out to I-95; it already has been extended from RI 1A to US 1.


Westbound, and gone now, courtesy Doug Kerr. Mourning is in order for losing button copy with an original US 1 shield.


Four more westbound photos; in the first one, a ghost ramp merges in on the right, and the yellow stripe comes in from the left to turn two lanes into one; until recently, the merge happened under the US 1 overpass instead of before it.


The eastbound offramp from that freeway to RI 1A, not US 1A, despite RIDOT's best attempt to confuse you.


The old Jamestown Bridge, the most spectacular part of which has been since removed. It sits/sat to the south of the current four-lane bridge. I have plenty more photos exploring the old bridge, via the big link at the bottom of the page.


A sign for the Newport-Claiborne Pell Bridge (or just Pell), the eastern of RI 138's two major bridges and the one that doesn't have its departed brother next to it. Thanks to Doug Kerr for letting me use a non-blurry version of this sign.


The Pell Bridge itself.


Views of the eastern stub end of the RI 138 freeway in Newport. NIMBY opposition killed a freeway here, thus traffic must Exit 138 onto a short portion of what would have been the I-895 freeway:


This ramp comes off of that I-895 piece that now carries RI 138, and would have gone to RI 238 under the bridge you see via an abandoned railroad alignment, tying into the four lanes of America's Cup Avenue and RI 138A. These would have been the southbound lanes, and existing RI 238 would have been the northbound lanes. This is the only part of the original plans for this interchange that have any chance of coming to fruition, because all of the right of way and the northern third of pavement are all there, along with the necessary overpasses.


RI 238 is on local streets, and after this so is RI 138. The last two pictures show a small piece of onramp next to the offramp used by 138 and 238 traffic; this would have led to the eastbound freeway.
I find it very interesting that Newport would have had two full freeways intersecting here; instead it essentially has one coming to an abrupt end.

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The old Stone Bridge, built in 1907 to carry what would become RI 138, still has stubs on both sides, after the middle was destroyed by Hurricane Carol while being used as a fishing bridge. It was replaced by the Sakonnet River Bridge on RI 24 (follow the big link at the bottom of the page). Potholes are expanding on it, making it unsafe for anyone to use. There is even a plaque on each end of the bridge, but RIDOT doesn't want you to walk onto the stub to see the plaque. Curious.
The rest of the pictures are all from the western end just off of RI 138, visible in the background of the above picture. The photo above, and a few more photos of the eastern stub of the bridge, are on the RI 77 page, so go there next via the link below.




A pothole on the side of the bridge.


The plaque on the near end of the bridge.


The pier footing that once had more stone above it.

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After RI 138 gets across the Sakonnet River, SB at RI 24 and the beginning of RI 77. 77 used to begin at the Stone Bridge. This is the first evidence on this page that RI 138 switched from east-west to north-south in Newport.


Original RI 24 shield, from a driveway opposite the 24 SB offramp to RI 138/77 at Exit 5.


The first, not very pretty SB shield in Rhode Island.

Onto the old Jamestown Bridge
Onto RI 24 and 24/138
Onto RI 138A

Into MA on 138
Into CT on 138
Up onto US 1
Onto RI 1A
More old bypassed bridges, on RI 114
More Stone Bridge; onto RI 77
RI 138 on Steve Anderson's bostonroads.com
Back to Rhode Island Roads
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