This year the state Department of Transportation is working on between $110 million and $120 million in road construction projects – up more than 65 percent over last year. The number of projects could wreak havoc for commuters and travelers. Edmund Parker, the DOT’s chief designer, said that although precautions are being taken to prevent congestion, some inconvenience is inevitable.
”People do a lot more driving during the summer than winter, but unfortunately that is when we do most of our construction,” Parker said. “Much of our work is temperature sensitive. We have a relatively short construction season – it lasts only about eight months – so we do the best we can.”
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To ease potential congestion, two years ago the department started doing some of its construction at night.
“We look at each project and see when the best time is for us to do the work,” Parker said. “For instance, you don’t want to do nighttime construction in urban areas because you would keep the neighbors up with the loud equipment. We pick and choose projects, like Route 6 and 10 – where much of the work we did was at night, and there was a minimal impact on the daily commute.”
In other instances, Parker said the DOT has started using 1610 AM as an advisory radio station informing travelers of construction, accidents, or tourist events like the Tall Ships in Newport last weekend.
”Everything we do has an impact,” he said. “We as the DOT can’t afford to build out in terms of construction. We can’t build bigger and wider highways because we can’t afford them and people don’t like them. But we can build smarter and the advisory signs and traffic updates are making us smarter.”
The following is a list of ongoing or planned DOT projects for 2000:
Interstate Projects
I-95
I-95 overpass repair Route 10. Cranston/Providence — November 1999 through November 2000
I-95 Service Roads, Bridges, Downtown Providence – May 2000 through November 2001.
I-95 Providence, Pawtucket Bridge rehabilitation – late spring 2000 though November 2001.
I-95 Safety improvements, Blackstone Bridge to the Massachusetts State Line, Pawtucket.
Preliminary work for the relocation of I-95 and I -195 is under way, and does not affect traffic.
I-295
I-295 Resurfacing, Johnston, Smithfield – April 2000 through November 2000.
Northern Rhode Island and Blackstone Valley
Reconstruction of the Ashton Viaduct, Lincoln and Cumberland Bridge to reopen in fall of 2000.
Replacement of the Court Street Bridge, Woonsocket. Bridge was officially opened to traffic June 29, 2000.
Replacement of the Woonasquatucket River Bridge (Routes 5/104) in Smithfield continues through December of 2000.
Resurfacing and sidewalk enhancement, Route 5 from Slatersville to Mass. state line, Rte. 7 from Route 5 to Route 102, in Burrillville, North Smithfield and Smithfield.
Resurfacing Atwood Avenue, Cherry Hill Road, Greenville Avenue, Killingly Street, Johnston.
Metropolitan Providence
Painting of the Point Street Bridge
Extending the Providence Riverwalk on South Water Street
Resurfacing segments of Routes 6 and 10 in Providence; Route 6 from Route 10 to Hartford Avenue, Route 10 from Dean Street to Cranston Street – construction from April to October of 2000.
Resurfacing Broad Street from I-95 to the Cranston City line – May to September 2000.
Six Corners Bridge, East Providence
East Bay area
Newport Marine facilities project
Restoration of the Bull Gates at Colt State Park
Improvements to Memorial Boulevard, Newport/Middletown
Southwest Avenue and Beavertail Road, Jamestown
Interim repairs at the Sakonnet River Bridge Portsmouth/Tiverton, construction to begin in June 2000.
West Bay area
Replacement of the Ponaganset Bridge Scituate – through December of 2000.
Resurfacing of Tunk Hill Road from the Kent Dam to Route 102 in Scituate.
Reconstruction of Wakefield Street West Warwick.
Reconstruction of Post Road, Warwick, from Apponaug to East Greenwich, through summer 2000.
Washington secondary bike path.
Gansett Avenue Bridge
Replacement of the Main Street Railroad Bridge, West Warwick construction to begin in May 2000.
South County
Replacement of the Kenyon Shannock Railroad Bridge – scheduled to reopen mid summer of 2000.
Resurfacing of Post Road (U.S. Route 1) in North Kingstown from School Street to Newcomb Road.
Route 108 (Kingstown Road) through South Kingstown.
Replacement of the Potter Pond Channel Bridge, South Kingstown
Drainage Projects, Routes 4 and 102, Exeter and North Kingstown
