Federal funds will help spur safety and economic improvements
Providence, RI – Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation has unlocked another $251,150,000 in federal funding for vital bridge repairs along Rhode Island’s busy I-95 corridor.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo today joined Governor Dan McKee in announcing $251.1 million for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to address the condition of 15 bridges located along nearly 10 miles of National Highway System (NHS) pavement. All of these bridges support or span critical infrastructure, including I-95 and Amtrak, commuter, and freight rail lines.
Collectively, these bridges provide key neighborhood connections throughout the cities of Providence and Cranston, and also serve 180,000 vehicles daily, including roughly 9,000 truck and heavy freight vehicles. This federal funding will allow RIDOT to take a major step in addressing the I-95 corridor holistically while maintaining the safe and efficient movement of freight and multimodal users to arterial roads carried over interstates. RIDOT plans call for replacing ten bridges and eliminating five. The project will improve vertical clearances on I-95 and reduce bridge strikes.
The federal funds will flow to Rhode Island through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program (BIP). Senators Reed and Whitehouse helped create BIP in 2021 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide federal funding for bridge replacement, rehabilitation, preservation, and protection with the goal of improving safety, efficiency, and reliability.
“This infusion of federal funding is a win for the state, commuters, and taxpayers everywhere. It will help keep traffic and commerce safely flowing. This is a vital transportation artery that needs attention and we don’t want another bridge closure. This is a smart investment that will help make needed repairs to improve safety, efficiency, reliability, and longevity for these bridges. We appreciate the leadership of President Joe Biden and Secretary Pete Buttigieg to make it happen,” said Senators Reed and Whitehouse and Congressmen Magaziner and Amo in a joint statement.
“Rhode Island is grateful to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Congressional Delegation for this much-needed funding to address our critical infrastructure needs,” said Governor Dan McKee. “This award will support our strategic plan for prioritized bridge repair and replacement across the state.”
“I appreciate the excellent work of our grant writing team and project managers. RIDOT is pleased and grateful for the confidence that the Congressional delegation, the DOT and FHWA have shown in us to provide RIDOT with the largest grant we have ever received,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr.
Currently, nine bridges slated for upgrades by RIDOT are considered in ‘poor’ condition and six in ‘low-fair’ condition. Overall, RIDOT estimates that the project will cost $723 million.
The federal funds will help RIDOT strategically sequence construction to reduce traffic disruption for all modes of travel while streamlining scheduling and construction costs, considerations that are vital to a transit corridor that serves over 180,000 passenger and freight vehicles daily.
The deadline to apply for today’s $251.1 million award was prior to the emergency closure of the Washington Bridge. The state has applied for a separate federal Mega grant to fix the Washington Bridge, but decisions regarding that application are not expected for several months.
On a national level, the American Society of Engineers’ most recent report found that underinvestment in infrastructure could cost American households and businesses nearly $2 trillion over 20 years, or as much as $625 per household per year.
