Work is advancing on a long-planned highway project in central Rhode Island that will complete two missing movements between Interstate 95 and Route 4 while improving access to the growing Quonset Business Park.
Federal and state transportation officials recently toured the construction site in East Greenwich, where Manafort Brothers Inc. is participating in the project. According to Manafort, the Aug. 25, 2026, tour brought together Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz and Quonset Development Corporation Managing Director and CEO Steven King, along with project representatives and other stakeholders.
The project, formally known as the I-95 “Missing Move” and Quonset Ramps Construction Project, has been under development for years. Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) officials said the $144 million project is designed to improve connections between I-95 and Route 4 while providing better highway access to Quonset Point, one of the state's major industrial and employment centers.
The work addresses two highway movements that were never constructed when Route 4 was developed in the 1960s: a direct connection from I-95 northbound to Route 4 southbound and a connection from Route 4 northbound to I-95 southbound.
According to RIDOT, Route 4 is a 5.4-mi. freeway that carries approximately 63,000 vehicles a day. Because the two connections are missing, motorists currently must leave the highway and use local roads to complete those movements.
The project is being constructed in two major components.
The first involves completing the missing I-95/Route 4 connections. Crews are constructing a new flyover bridge to connect Route 4 northbound with I-95 southbound. The opposite movement, from I-95 northbound to Route 4 southbound, will use an existing right-of-way for an at-grade connection.
During the recent site tour, officials viewed construction of the new connection from I-95 northbound to Route 4 southbound, according to Manafort.
RIDOT began preliminary construction activities for the interchange work in late 2025. A July 2026 Rhode Island Department of Transportation traffic advisory said construction crews were shifting traffic on I-95 southbound to create a work zone for drainage improvements and construction of the northern pier for the new flyover bridge connecting Route 4 northbound to I-95 southbound. That traffic pattern is expected to remain in place into early summer 2027.
Quonset Access Also Part of Project
The second major component is focused on improving access to the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown.
The work includes three ramps along Route 403, connecting the business park's West Davisville area with the surrounding highway network. It also includes a new roundabout south of Route 403 at Compass Circle. The improvements are intended to provide trucks and other freight traffic with more direct access to the business park without relying as heavily on local roads.
RIDOT describes Quonset as Rhode Island's largest industrial park. The agency has said the new highway connections will improve access to the business park while reducing traffic pressure on local streets.
Some of that work is already complete or nearing completion. A June 2026 state update said the Compass Circle roundabout had opened, while work continued on ramps and related improvements along Route 403 and Post Road.
The Route 403 work includes a new ramp from Post Road to Route 403 westbound, two ramps connecting Route 403 with West Davisville Road, roadway and signal improvements and related pedestrian and drainage work.
Federal Funding Helps Move Project Forward
The project received a major federal funding boost through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program.
According to the State of Rhode Island, RIDOT received an $81 million federal grant to help fund the project, allowing the state to move ahead with the long-planned highway improvements.
Earlier federal planning documents show that the project evolved through several stages of planning and environmental review. RIDOT and the Quonset Development Corporation worked together to develop the improvements, with QDC also contributing funding toward the project.
The need for the missing highway connections has been particularly apparent to freight operators. According to RIDOT's federal grant application, trucks and other vehicles traveling between I-95 and Route 4 currently must use Division Street and Route 2 to complete the missing movements, passing through multiple signalized intersections before returning to the freeway. The agency said shifting those trips onto direct highway connections is expected to reduce congestion on local roads.
Construction Continues Through 2027
RIDOT currently lists fall 2027 as the anticipated completion date for the overall project. The agency's project page lists the work as being located in North Kingstown and East Greenwich, with construction having begun in winter 2025.
For Manafort, the recent tour provided an opportunity to showcase construction progress on one of the state's largest current highway projects to federal, state and local officials.
The contractor said the new connection will ultimately improve mobility along the I-95/Route 4 corridor, while the broader project will provide more efficient access to Quonset's industrial and commercial operations.
The project's benefits extend beyond the interchange itself. By creating direct movements between I-95 and Route 4 and improving access to Quonset Business Park, the work is intended to move more commuter and freight traffic onto the highway system and away from surrounding local streets.
RIDOT's project materials say the completed improvements will provide direct travel between Route 4 and I-95 in all directions while creating a more efficient connection between the two sections of Quonset Business Park. â£
