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Rhode Island Thanksgiving Travel: Even Salted I-295 Can Freeze
Providence, RI – Rhode Island drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 this Thanksgiving may be putting too much confidence in something they see every winter: road salt. Even fres
By Jordan Mercer · 2026-11-11T19:01:43.034Z
Providence, RI – Rhode Island drivers preparing to travel Interstate 95 and Interstate 295 this Thanksgiving may be putting too much confidence in something they see every winter: road salt. Even freshly treated highways can become dangerously icy when temperatures plunge, leaving motorists vulnerable to slippery conditions despite efforts to keep roads clear.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, traditional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with its ice melting ability declining further as temperatures fall into the teens and single digits.
And that's where a dangerous assumption about winter driving can turn into a serious problem.
Why Even Salted Rhode Island Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It works by lowering the freezing point of water, helping melt ice and reduce freezing when conditions allow.
But as pavement temperatures fall, that melting process slows considerably. Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works much more slowly than it does near freezing. Below 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve traction.
For drivers traveling through Providence in Providence County, Warwick and Coventry in Kent County, Cranston in Providence County, and Pawtucket near the Massachusetts border, that limitation matters.
Major routes including I 95, I 295, I 195 and Route 146 can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses and shaded stretches of pavement.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Bring Added Risks Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto Rhode Island's major highways and connecting routes into Massachusetts and Connecticut.
If snow, freezing rain or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday period, even treated highways could become dangerously slick.
The risk can increase overnight and early in the morning, when pavement temperatures drop and moisture refreezes.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation uses multiple winter maintenance strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free roads under every condition.
Before departing, travelers should check National Weather Service forecasts and Rhode Island's 511 traveler information service for updated road conditions.
The bottom line: A salted interstate is not necessarily a safe interstate. Drivers should reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches even when highways appear clear.