U.S. Route 1 in Rhode Island

infobox road
state=RI
type=US
route=1
length_mi=57
length_ref=American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, [http://cms.transportation.org/?siteid=68&pageid=1760 United States Numbered Highways] , 1989 Edition]
length_round=0
formed=1926
direction_a=South
direction_b=North
terminus_a=jct|state=CT|US|1 in Stonington, CT
junction=
terminus_b=jct|state=MA|US|1 in Attleboro, MA
previous_type=Route
previous_route=403
next_type=US
next_route=1AIn the U.S. state of Rhode Island, U.S. Route 1 is a major north-south state highway through Providence. Staying close to the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay, it is a longer route than Interstate 95, and many portions are a four-lane divided highway.

Route description

US 1 has a business/bypass split in Warwick where US 1 Business runs along Post Road and US 1 Bypass runs along Post Road Bypass. The business route is officially recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation as US 1.

US 1 takes the following route through the state (south to north):
*Westerly: convert|6.4|mi|km|1; Connecticut State line to Charlestown town line
**Broad Street, [Main Street, Union Street] (Broad Street), Broad Street, Granite Street, Franklin Street, Post Road and Shore Road
*Charlestown: convert|7.1|mi|km|1; Westerly city line to South Kingstown town line
**Post Road
*South Kingstown: convert|7.7|mi|km|1; Charlestown town line to Narragansett town line
**Commander Perry Memorial Highway
*Narragansett: convert|0.8|mi|km|1; South Kingstown town line to South Kingstown town line
**Commander Perry Memorial Highway
*South Kingstown: convert|4.6|mi|km|1; Narragansett town line to North Kingstown town line
**Commander Perry Memorial Highway and Tower Hill Road
*North Kingstown: convert|9.8|mi|km|1; South Kingstown line to East Greenwich town line
**Tower Hill Road and Post Road
*East Greenwich: convert|2.4|mi|km|1; North Kingstown town line to Warwick city line
**Post Road and Main Street
*Warwick: convert|7.5|mi|km|1; East Greenwich town line to Cranston city line
**Post Road, [Post Road, West Shore Road] (Greenwich Avenue, Veterans Memorial Drive), Post Road and Elmwood Avenue
*Cranston: convert|1.1|mi|km|1; Warwick city line to Providence city line
**Elmwood Avenue
*Providence: convert|6.3|mi|km|1; Cranston city line to Pawtucket city line
**Elmwood Avenue, Broad Street, [Broad Street, Franklin Street, Service Road #8] (Service Road #7, Broadway), Broadway, [Fountain Street] (Sabin Street), Francis Street, Gaspee Street, Smith Street and North Main Street
*Pawtucket: convert|3.1|mi|km|1; Providence city line to Massachusetts State line
**Pawtucket Avenue, George Street, [East Avenue] (Park Place West, Dexter Street, Goff Avenue, Summer Street, High Street), Main Street, [Main Street, Walcott Street, North-South Expressway] (Walcott Street, Broadway) and Broadway

History

Except north of downtown Providence, where US 1 was built as the Providence and Pawtucket Turnpike (now Main Street), the highway was never a turnpike road. Portions are the old Boston Post Road, while other parts were built as bypasses, leaving the old road as Route 1A. The turnpike south of Providence - the Providence and Pawcatuck Turnpike and Hopkinton and Richmond Turnpike - followed the diagonal route that I-95 now takes.

References