Route 81 is a short south–north state highway

State highway

State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...

 located entirely within the city of Fall River

Fall River, Massachusetts

Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

.

History

Prior to the 1960s, much of what is now William S. Canning Boulevard did not exist, as the route passes through former wetlands around the Sucker Brook. The building of Route 24 helped necessitate its building, and also brought about the rise of the retail areas by 1971. The building of the route also lessened traffic on Stafford Road, which had been the only road to access what is now Route 81 in Rhode Island.

Route description

The route is a continuation of Rhode Island Route 81, which extends from Adamsville

Adamsville, Rhode Island

Adamsville, Rhode Island is a historic village in Little Compton, Rhode Island. It was first settled in 1675 around the time of King Phillip's War.-Historic Sites:...

 along the Rhode Island-Massachusetts border. The route begins as William S. Canning Boulevard shortly before its intersection with Route 24 at that route's Exit 1. Form there it proceeds northward, past the New Harbour Mall

New Harbour Mall

New Harbour Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Route 24 and Route 81...

 and Fall River Shopping Center. The road becomes Rhode Island Avenue when it crosses Tucker Street, keeping that designation for 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) before turning into Plymouth Avenue at that road's intersection with Slade Street and Laurel Street. It then continues northward, passing Stafford Road, Middle Street and Rodman Street before finally ending at I-195

Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)

Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...

 near the city's center.

Junction list

Location	Mile	Roads intersected	Notes
Fall River Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...	0.0	RI Route 81	Massachusetts Route 81 begins at the state line.
	0.3	Route 24	Route 24 Exits 1A-B
	1.0	Tucker Street	Route 81 joins Rhode Island Avenue
	1.4	Slade Street	Route 81 joins Plymouth Avenue
	2.56	I-195 Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts) Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...	Route 81 ends at I-195 Exit 7.