Cranston Route 37 work includes overnight ramp and lane closures

RIDOT construction activity will affect Cranston drivers overnight this week, with separate ramp closures and lane restrictions on I-295 and Route 37. A longer-running traffic pattern at the Route 37/Route 2 interchange is also expected to remain in place through the end of summer 2026.

Remaining overnight work this week

The I-295 North ramp to Route 37 West at Exit 3A and the I-295 North on-ramp from Route 37 East were scheduled to close from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Tuesday nights, July 26-28. Tuesday night, July 28, is the final scheduled night for those specific ramp closures under the current advisory.

Alternating lane closures on I-295 near Route 37 are scheduled from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, July 26-30. On Route 37 West near Jefferson Boulevard, the right lane is also scheduled to close during the same overnight work window through Thursday night, July 30.

RIDOT says the schedules are weather-dependent and may change because of field conditions or construction needs.

What drivers will see during the day

The longer-running traffic pattern at the Route 37/Route 2 interchange is separate from this week’s overnight closures. Both directions of Route 37 are shifted onto the eastbound portion of the bridge, and eastbound Route 37 traffic is reduced from two lanes to one. Exit 1D is temporarily closed, while temporary signal-controlled movements use Exit 1C.

Traffic at the Route 37 overpass is also reduced to one lane in each direction on Route 2 under the temporary signal pattern. Drivers moving between Route 2 and Route 37 should expect altered ramp movements and possible delays during both daytime and overnight trips.

RIDOT says the arrangement is expected to remain in place through the end of summer 2026. Additional traffic-pattern changes are expected before the next phase of bridge work, and the agency says those changes will be announced in advance.

How to plan a Cranston trip

Nighttime drivers using I-295, Route 37 or the Jefferson Boulevard area should allow extra time and follow posted detours. Drivers traveling between Route 37 and Route 2 should plan for the one-lane pattern, temporary signal and altered ramp movements.

Before leaving, check RIDOT’s current travel advisories and its construction and detour maps. Those pages provide the latest information if a closure is postponed, extended or changed because of weather or construction conditions.

The work is part of RIDOT’s broader Route 37 Improvements and Cranston Canyon projects. The Route 37 project page lists Phase 2 construction in Cranston through 2026 and Phase 3 work through 2028, so the current overnight restrictions are part of a longer construction program rather than the end of the entire Route 37 project.

Sources

• RIDOT Route 37 Improvements project page
• Rhode Island Route 37/Route 2 traffic advisory