Rhode Island Route 138

Route 138 is a numbered State Highway running 48.3 miles (77.7 km) in Rhode Island. It is the longest state numbered route in Rhode Island, and the second longest highway after US 1. Route 138 begins in Exeter at the Connecticut state line in the west and runs to the Massachusetts state line in Tiverton in the east, and is the only state-numbered route to completely cross Rhode Island. Route 138 also keeps the same route number on the other side of both state lines.

Route 138 marker

Route 138

RI-138 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by RIDOT and RITBA
Length48.3 mi[1] (77.7 km)
Existed1922 (east of Newport)
1932 (west of Newport)–present
Major junctions
West end Route 138 in Voluntown, CT
Major intersections I-95 in Richmond
US 1 in North Kingstown
Route 24 in Portsmouth
North end Route 138 in Fall River, MA
Location
CountryUnited States
StateRhode Island
CountiesWashington, Newport
Highway system
← Route 136→ Route 142

Route 138 is a major thoroughfare in southern Rhode Island. The route ultimately connects Interstate 95 and the University of Rhode Island campus with the island town of Jamestown, the city of Newport, as well as the Tiverton-Little Compton coastal region. At the Massachusetts border in Fall River, the route continues as Massachusetts Route 138, which extends north into the Greater Boston area.

Route description

Route 138 takes the following route through the State:

History
The Newport Pell Bridge, which RI 138 runs on.

Route 138 used the Stone Bridge over the Sakonnet River until 1954.

Before the opening of the Jamestown section of the Route 138 Expressway in 1994, Route 138 came off the Jamestown Bridge and used Eldred Avenue (which has now been partially cut off by the Expressway) and East Shore Road to the Newport Pell Bridge. As of 2005, there is still a Route 138 reassurance marker northbound on East Shore Road just north of the Newport Pell Bridge.

Prior to the construction of the Route 138 Expressway in North Kingstown, Route 138 used Bridgetown Road east of U.S. 1 in South Kingstown, then north on Route 1A into North Kingstown, then along an access road to the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge which was upgraded on the spot to the Route 138 Expressway.

There are two abandoned temporary ramps at the west end of the Jamestown Bridge used by through traffic in the early 1990s. These ramps connected through traffic to the old bridge while the new one was being built. The new Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge opened in 1992. These ramps have since been converted into access points to the local beaches.

The Route 138 Expressway was intended to extend west to Interstate 95. For more information, see Interstate 895 (Rhode Island/Massachusetts).

Route 138 officially goes from being signed East/West to being signed North/South at the intersection of Admiral Kalbfus Road and West Main Road on the Middletown/Newport line.

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
WashingtonExeter0.00.0
 Route 138 west		Continuation into Connecticut
Hope Valley5.69.0
 Route 3 south (Main Street)		Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 3
Wyoming6.610.6
 Route 3 north (Main Street)		Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 3
7.111.4 I-95 – Providence, WesterlyExit 7 on I-95; partial cloverleaf interchange
Richmond9.114.6
 Route 112 south (Richmond Townhouse Road)		Northern terminus of Route 112
West Kingston14.523.3 Route 2 (South County Trail)
15.925.6
 Route 110 south (Ministerial Road)		Northern terminus of Route 110
Kingston17.528.2
 Route 108 south (Kingstown Road)		Northern terminus of Route 108
South Kingstown21.033.8
 US 1 south / Bridgetown Rd		Western terminus of concurrency with US 1
North Kingstown23.337.5
 US 1 north – Providence		Eastern terminus of concurrency with US 1; western terminus of freeway section; cloverleaf interchange
25.641.2 Route 1A – Wickford, Narragansett
Narragansett Bay West Passage26.2–
27.4		42.2–
44.1		Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge
NewportJamestown27.844.7Helm Street (east) / Beacon Avenue (west)
28.145.2Main RoadWestbound entrance only
28.545.9Eldred AvenueWestbound entrance only
29.647.6Conanicus Avenue (east) / East Shore Road (west) – Jamestown
Narragansett Bay
East Passage		30.2–
32.1		48.6–
51.7		Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge
(R.I. E-ZPass $3.17; Pay-by-Plate $4.00)
Newport32.452.1
 Route 238 south – Downtown Newport		Northern terminus of Route 238
33.153.3Admiral Kalbfus Road westEastern terminus of freeway section; east/west designation changes to north/south
Middletown34.555.5
 Route 114 north (West Main Road)		Southern terminus of Route 114
34.956.2 Route 214 (Valley Road)
35.557.1
 Route 138A south (Aquidneck Avenue)		Northern terminus of Route 138A
Portsmouth43.369.7
 Route 24 south / Boyds Lane – Middletown, Newport		Southern terminus of concurrency with Route 24, exit 2 on Route 24
44.872.1Anthony Road (south) / Hummocks Avenue (north) – Common Fence PointExit 3 on Route 24
Sakonnet River45.0–
45.3		72.4–
72.9		Sakonnet River Bridge
Tiverton45.372.9

 To Route 77 / Route 177 – Tiverton		Exit 4 on Route 24
45.673.4
 Route 24 north – Fall River, MA, Taunton, MA		Northern terminus of concurrency with Route 24, exit 4 on Route 24
45.773.5
 Route 77 south (Main Road)		Northern terminus of Route 77
48.377.7
 Route 138 north – Fall River		Continuation into Massachusetts
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Route 138A

Route 138A marker

Route 138A

LocationNewport–Middletown
Length4.6 mi[2] (7.4 km)

Route 138A is a numbered state highway running 4.6 miles (7.4 km) through Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island. Route 138A is a "scenic route" highway that begins at Route 238 at the intersection of America's Cup Avenue and Gladys Carr Bolhouse Road (which goes to Goat Island) where it follows America's Cup Avenue southwards, travels through downtown Newport, past the Newport beaches, and north through Middletown where it connects with Route 138.

Route description

  • In Newport: 2.1 miles—beginning at America's Cup Avenue, along Memorial Boulevard West, and Memorial Boulevard to the Middletown town line.
  • In Middletown: 2.5 miles—beginning at the Newport city line, along Aquidneck Avenue to Route 138 (East Main Road).

History
Most of the streets along Route 138A were built after 1965. Route 138A never represented an old alignment of Route 138.


Major intersections
The entire route is in Newport County.

Locationmi[3]kmDestinationsNotes
Newport0.00.0
 Route 238 (America's Cup Avenue) to Route 138 – Goat Island		Southern terminus
0.91.4Bellevue Avenue
Middletown2.33.7Purgatory Road
2.64.2
 Route 214 north (Valley Road)		Southern terminus of Route 214
3.65.8Green End Avenue
4.67.4 Route 138 (East Main Road)Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Google (December 31, 2013). "Route 138" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  2. Google (December 31, 2013). "Route 138A" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  3. "RIDOT Roads (2016)". www.rigis.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
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