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Route 1A, largely signed as Scenic 1A, is a long numbered state highway located in Washington County,
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. The route, which parallels
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making ...
(US 1) for its entire length, has four distinct sections connected by US 1, two of which require median u-turn ramps to cross US 1. It travels through five towns in Washington County: Westerly, Charlestown,
South Kingstown South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...
, Narragansett, and
North Kingstown North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilbe ...
. Route 1A should not be confused with
U.S. Route 1A U.S. Route 1A is the name of several highways found in the United States. North Carolina Wake Forest–Youngsville U.S. Route 1A (US 1A) is a alternate route of US 1 through the towns of Wake Forest and Youngsville, North Caroli ...
, which exists north of Route 1A in
Providence County Providence County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 660,741, or 60.2% of the state's population. Providence County contains the city of Providence, the state cap ...
, beginning in
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
and crossing into
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 75,604 at the 2020 census, making the city the fourth-largest in the state. Pawtucket borders Providence and East Providence to the south, Central Fal ...
. Not helping matters is the presence of Route 1A shields on US 1A.


Route description

Route 1A follows
U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, making ...
(US 1) closely through Washington County. US 1 is a
divided highway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
for most of its length in this region; there is also a short freeway section in
South Kingstown South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...
and Narragansett. Because Interstate 95 largely bypasses the main population centers in the southern portion of the state, instead following a more inland routing, US 1 serves as the main thoroughfare. Route 1A, in comparison, runs on surface streets, acting as an
alternate route An official alternate route is a special route in the United States that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. They are loop roads and found in many road systems in the United States including the U.S. Highway system and various state a ...
for US 1 that provides access to more local roads and business districts. There are four distinct sections, each separated segments of US 1.


Westerly section

The first section of Route 1A is in length and runs entirely in Westerly. Beginning in downtown Westerly, the roadway takes a more southerly route for its first in the town, serving the affluent coastal community of Watch Hill and
Misquamicut State Beach Misquamicut State Beach is a seaside public recreation area in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island. It occupies a portion of Misquamicut Beach, a barrier island that extends westward from Weekapaug to Watch Hill and separates Winnapaug Pond fro ...
. The roadway begins as Main Street, which diverges from US 1 (Broad Street) just after the latter route crosses the
Pawcatuck River The Pawcatuck River is a river in the US states of Rhode Island and Connecticut flowing approximately .U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 There are eight dam ...
from Stonington, Connecticut. Route 1A north continues southward on Beach Street before turning south onto Watch Hill Road. The roadway then turns to the southeast along Shore Road, which runs parallel to Misquamicut Beach, Atlantic Beach and
Winnapaug Pond Winnapaug Pond (also known as Brightman Pond) is a breached saltwater lagoon in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States, connected to Block Island Sound by the Weekapaug Breachway, which was constructed during the mid-1950s. The lake is separated f ...
, until Shore Road meets Post Road not far from the Charlestown town line.


Charlestown and South Kingstown sections

The second segment of Route 1A begins north of where the first section ends. This segment is in length, begins shortly after Post Road passes
Ninigret Pond Ninigret is a coastal lagoon in Charlestown, Rhode Island, in the United States, located at . It is the largest of the nine lagoons, or "salt ponds", in southern Rhode Island. It is utilized for recreational activities, as well as oyster and quaho ...
in Charlestown. The roadway follows Old Post Road in Charlestown past
Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge The Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge situated along the shore of Ninigret Pond. It is characterized by salt marshes, kettle ponds, freshwater wetlands, maritime shrub lands, and forests, and it is seasonally inhabit ...
before merging back with the northbound lanes of US 1 / Post Road. The third section of Route 1A begins just north of where the second section ends, with the connection made by way of US 1 north. This section runs for a total of , though the southernmost are separated from rest due to a closed median at US 1. This section follows Old Post Road through Charlestown village and into
South Kingstown South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind New ...
before re-merging with US 1. This segment serves as a beach bypass, providing access to Charlestown Breachway State Beach, Charlestown Town Beach and Green Hill Beach. This segment also provides access to
Route 110 Route 110 or Highway 110 can refer to multiple roads: Australia * Nepean Highway * Bellarine Highway Bangladesh * Brazil * BR-110 Canada * Manitoba Highway 110 * New Brunswick Route 110 * Prince Edward Island Route 110 China * China ...
, before terminating at US 1 again, this time at the southbound lanes.


South Kingstown to North Kingstown section

After traveling north for on US 1, the fourth section of Route 1A begins, again following Post Road. This section, like the previous one, is split into two by way of a closed median interchange. The portion below this closed interchange is only long and barely more than a residential road. It parallels US 1 as a former alignment of the Boston Post Road before reaching the closed interchange. After crossing US 1 via a median u-turn, Route 1A continues north for , this time taking a more distant course from US 1. This segment runs for and serves as a major commercial corridor for the towns of South Kinsgtown, Narragansett, and
North Kingstown North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilbe ...
. Route 1A runs north and east along Post Road and Main Street into the village of
Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
, a major commercial center of South Kingstown. Just after exiting downtown Wakefield, the road intersects with Route 108, beginning a
wrong-way concurrency A concurrency in a road network is an instance of one physical roadway bearing two or more different route numbers. When two roadways share the same right-of-way, it is sometimes called a common section or commons. Other terminology for a concurr ...
: Route 1A north and Route 108 south run in a southeasterly direction along Kingstown Road. After entering the town of Narragansett, the concurrent routes partially intersect US 1 at a grade-separated interchange. Just south of the US 1 overpass, Route 108 south and Route 1A north both enter the Dillon (Narragansett) Rotary. Route 108 exits to the south, heading towards the villages of Galilee and Point Judith, while Route 1A exits to the east, heading towards the village of
Narragansett Pier Narragansett Pier is an unincorporated village and a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Narragansett in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 3,409 at the 2010 census. Geography Narragansett Pier is locate ...
. The portion of Route 1A in Wakefield between US 1 and the Dillon Rotary is not actually signed as part of Route 1A on most maps; however, the
Rhode Island Department of Transportation The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is a Rhode Island state government agency charged with design, construction, maintenance and inspection of a wide range of transportation infrastructure. These include 3,300 lane miles of stat ...
(RIDOT) has posted
reassurance marker A reassurance marker or confirming marker is a type of traffic sign that confirms the identity of the route being traveled on. It does not provide information found on other types of road signs, such as distances traveled, distances to other locat ...
s on Post Road, Main Street and Kingstown Road though Wakefield, and the register of state highways indicates that this routing is officially part of Route 1A. In Narragansett, Route 1A follows Kingstown Road and Narragansett Avenue. When the highway reaches the village of Narragansett Pier, it turns due north onto Beach Street and passes Narragansett Town Beach just north of The Towers. The mainline of Beach Street becomes Boston Neck Road just north of the village center and crosses the Pettaquamscutt River (also known as Narrow River) via the Sprague Bridge. Route 1A serves as a major commercial corridor in northern Narragansett, and also provides access to the village of Bonnet Shores. It then crosses into the
Saunderstown Saunderstown is a small village and historic district in the towns of Narragansett and North Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Saunderstown has its own post office with the ZIP Code of 02874, which also includes a sma ...
neighborhood of
North Kingstown North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and is part of the Providence metropolitan area. The population was 27,732 in the 2020 census. North Kingstown is home to the birthplace of American portraitist Gilbe ...
, interchanging with Rhode Island Route 138 just west of the Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge. Route 1A heads north for another before crossing a branch of Wickford Cove via the Hussey Bridge, entering the village of
Wickford Wickford is a town and civil parish in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of 33,486. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of London, it is within the Borough of Basildon along with the original town of Basil ...
. Route 1A turns north onto Brown Street, intersecting with the southern terminus of Route 102. The roadway then turns to the west onto West Main Street before terminating at US 1 just northwest of the main Wickford business district.


History

At various points in time, every segment of Route 1A except the one in Westerly served as part of U.S. 1, which historically was the lower routing of the Boston Post Road mail route. The Route 1A designation came after the U.S. 1 designation was moved to a different alignment. This led to most segments of Route 1A being named Old Post Road or Post Road, while much of US 1 is now named the Commodore Perry Highway. Before that, Route 1A existed on an alignment that is now roughly Route 3. The segment from old U.S. 1 in downtown
Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...
to current US 1 near
Wickford Wickford is a town and civil parish in the south of the English county of Essex, with a population of 33,486. Located approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of London, it is within the Borough of Basildon along with the original town of Basil ...
, now most of the fourth section, was once Route 1B. It was renumbered to Route 1A by 1934.


Major intersections


References


External links


2019 Highway Map, Rhode Island
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhode Island Route 1a 001A A Rhode Island Transportation in Washington County, Rhode Island Westerly, Rhode Island Charlestown, Rhode Island South Kingstown, Rhode Island Narragansett, Rhode Island North Kingstown, Rhode Island