R.I. seeks $59M to improve 6-10 intersection at I-95 and Providence Viaduct

THE R.I. Department of Transportation seeking $59 million in federal funding to improve the intersection where Route 6 and 10 meet Interstate 95 and the Providence Viaduct.
THE R.I. Department of Transportation seeking $59 million in federal funding to improve the intersection where Route 6 and 10 meet Interstate 95 and the Providence Viaduct.

PROVIDENCE – In an ongoing effort to mend Providence roadways, the state is seeking $59 million in federal funding to improve the intersection where Route 6 and Route 10 meet Interstate 95 and the Providence Viaduct.
Some of the funding also will go toward making modifications to the Dean Street interchange.
The R.I. Department of Transportation made the announcement on Friday, saying the grant would go toward its $226.1 million Providence Viaduct northbound project, and would be in addition to the current $400 million earmarked for the 6-10 connector redesign effort.
“This is a competitive process and I am pleased to support the state’s application,” said Rhode Island Sen. Jack F. Reed, Democrat, in prepared remarks. Reed sits on the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee.
“This project has the opportunity to generate jobs and economic development while reducing congestion and improving public safety,” he added.
If awarded the grant, RIDOT says the money will go toward improving traffic circulation from the 6-10 connector, enriching pedestrian access and making 7.3 acres of land available for development.
The announcement comes a week after the state introduced its final design for revamping the 6-10 connector, a deteriorating roadway that runs about 1.6 miles from Westminster Street to I-95 downtown. RIDOT worked with Providence to come up with a design to fix the crumbling thoroughfare, but also knit back together neighborhoods that have been divided by the roadway for decades.
“This is yet another opportunity to improve the 6-10 corridor and build upon our efforts to reconnect our neighborhoods,” Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said in a statement. “We hope to invest in forward-thinking transportation infrastructure while at the same time increasing safety and improving access to Rhode Island’s capital city.”
RIDOT says the grant money would go toward eliminating the curves just prior to the existing Dean Street viaduct interchange, where vehicles accessing the 6-10 connector eastbound create traffic.
The state is applying for the grant through the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects program from FASTLANE (Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies). RIDOT applied, but did not receive the same FASTLANE grant last year. It then sought the money to rebuild the 6-10 connector.
The 50-year-old Providence Viaduct carries 220,000 vehicles daily, representing the third-highest volume of traffic in New England, according to RIDOT. The southbound portion of the project is nearly completed.
“We want these funds to implement further design improvements to the 6-10 corridor, which incorporates the viaduct northbound,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti. “Our primary goal, of course, is safety and to restore the viaduct to a state of good repair while addressing traffic congestion and connecting the neighborhoods.”
The state says whatever isn’t covered by the grant will come from other federal sources and state sources, including revenue realized through tolling.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat, and U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, Democrat, also expressed support for the project.
A decision on the grant is expected next month.

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