Route 195, History: how EPVME came to be

The Washington Bridge spans the Seekonk River.  It connects East Providence, RI with the Fox Point area of Providence, RI.

The original (south) bridge was built in 1930 and was dedicated to our President George Washington. It opened on Sept. 25, 1930.  The square on the East Providence side of the bridge was dedicated in Nov. 1931 to veteran Lt. Donald E. Carlton, the first EP resident to be killed in the Great War (WWI).

View from Providence, RI,  east to East Providence of the George Washington Bridge built in 1930.

Notice the old platform over the railroad tracks at the end of Warren Ave.    

This was the location of the privately owned toll bridge before 1930.

The Washington Bridge was built with government funds.

One no longer needed to pay a toll to cross the Seekonk River on the new "free"way.

This road, Route 195 eventually became Interstate 195 or I-195.  Also  this freeway carries Route 6 and Route  ----

Plat 996 of E P  east of the Washington Bridge before the 1957 construction of the Route 195, EPVME, today's I-195

Locations of buildings and roads

Serving as an escape/ evacuation route for flood prone and low lands in south eastern RI, the center of the town of E. Prov. was divided in the late 1950s to built the expressway or Route 195. Watchemoket Square, three schools, businesses, and houses were moved or demolished. Mr. Joseph Andrews Jr. watched several of the houses on Broadway, Freeborn Ave., and School St. move.  In 2016, he created maps of their present locations.

Route 195 was built in 1957-1959 and opened on Dec. 15, 1959 in the newly named city of E. Providence. 

During 1960-1961, nominations were collected to name the bridges and spans on the expressway for resident veterans who died while serving.  Copies of these nominations can be viewed at the E P Historical Society and on this website, under the "Nominations" tab.

On Nov. 11, 1961, individual war memorial bridge plaques along the freeway were dedicated and
Route 195 was named the East Providence Veterans Memorial Expressway (EPVME).  

See the tab labelled "1961 and 2021 dedcation programs" on this website.

Later in the 1960s, a new bridge was built across the Seekonk River, on the north side of the original George Washington Bridge. The north bridge (sometimes referred to as the Martha Washington Bridge) opened to traffic in 1968.  Since then many bridge and bike path constructions have occurred.

The EPVMER2021 committee was formed to request that the missing bridge memorial plaques be restored, to re-dedicate the plaques (on Nov. 6, 2021) 60 years after their original placement, and to create and maintain names on the EP Military Service Honor Roll to inform the public of the many veterans for whom this expressway was named.

On Dec. 11, 2023, the west bound traffic lanes over the north side of the Washington Bridge were declared unsafe, so the bridge was immediately shut down prior to the "5 pm rush hour."  

Traffic lanes were adjusted so traffic could flow in both directions over the south bridge.    

      See photos on tab "EPVME = I 195 traffic pattern from Dec2023-April 2024"

      See tab "Removal of Washington Bridge" for photos

By Dec. 2025, demolition of the north side bridge had been completed.

A new bridge is to be built as soon as possible.

updated February 22, 2026