What is 'that huge mountain of dirt' by the highway? What and Why RI finds out
It's only natural to be curious when you notice something different about a place you go all the time.
That was the case for one What and Why RI reader who was driving by the interchange of Interstate 295 and Route 6 in Johnston.
“This huge mountain of dirt was once a ravine located at the junction of these two highways. What and why is it now being excavated again?” he asked, attaching a picture of the dirt pile.
We asked the Rhode Island Department of Transportation about the dirt pile, and, as it turns out, it's just temporary.
“That pile is being used as part of our ongoing improvements at the 6/10 interchange,” said DOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin III. “The area will remain an active stockpile location until after Memorial Day, at which time we will clean up the site.”
What and Why RI: What's the story behind the 'Gnomes' mural on I-95? We tracked down the artist to ask
What and Why RI: What does Rhode Island do with lottery revenues? Here's how it's spent
What’s the 6/10 interchange project?
The state is redoing the Route 6 East to Route 10 South interchange, which is the centerpiece of the Rhode Works highway maintenance plan.
The original exchange was built in the 1950s, but it has been crumbling for years. According to the DOT, the exchange was above traffic capacity, and seven of its nine bridges were declared structurally deficient.
Work on the project started in 2018 and is slated to wrap up this year. The $410-million construction project is the largest design build Rhode Island has ever undertaken.
More: Providence was built on 7 hills, now there are only 6. What happened?
More: Who is that named after? What and Why RI answers your questions
How has the 6/10 project affected drivers?
The pile of dirt is the smallest piece of the puzzle.
The project has been causing delays and lane closures all month. The most recent one started on May 19 and is scheduled to conclude on May 22, when Route 10 North will be reduced to one lane around the Westminster Street overpass. At the same time, Route 6 East will be reduced to one lane from the Plainfield Street on-ramp to the Broadway off-ramp.
The lane closure will allow work crews to lower the road under the overpass.
There will be at least one more closure in June.
With staff reports by Wheeler Cowperthwaite.
What and Why RI is a weekly feature by The Providence Journal to explore our readers' curiosity. If you have a question about Rhode Island, big or small, email it to klandeck@gannett.com. She loves a good question.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 'Huge mountain of dirt' part of 6/10 interchange project
