The RhodeWorks plan to repair roads and bridges was approved by the Rhode Island General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Gina M. Raimondo on February 11, 2016. The legislation (2016-H 7409Aaa, 2016 - S 2246Aaa) creates a funding source that will allow the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to repair more than 150 structurally deficient bridges and make repairs to another 500 bridges to prevent them from becoming deficient, bringing 90 percent of the State's bridges into structural sufficiency by 2026.
The reconstruction of the Newport Pell Bridge Approaches was started to address the need to make travel into Newport easy and safe and to provide an efficient ramp system with a smaller footprint. The project will reduce congestion and vehicle queuing on the Pell Bridge and improve the connection between Newport's North End and the downtown area by reconfiguring the approach ramps to the Newport Pell Bridge. It will also spur economic development as it frees up parcels of land.
The project is divided into two phases. Phase 1 ($10.9 million) will focus on the reconstruction of JT Connell Highway and Coddington Highway. Phase 2 ($74.6 million) focuses on the ramp interchange itself.
RIDOT is rebuilding a badly deteriorated section of Aquidneck Avenue from East Main Road to Green End Avenue, a bustling 1-mile commercial corridor in Middletown. The $9 million project will not only address the poor-quality pavement, it also will make numerous safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
This project includes full pavement replacement, sidewalks, traffic signals and stormwater drainage upgrades at various locations In Tiverton and Little Compton. No new signals are being installed on the project.
* All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings, and weather.