Is Gov. McKee’s proposed $20M municipal grant program for road and bridge repairs enough to make a difference for drivers?

Gov. Daniel J. McKee wants to make $20 million available for road, bridge and sidewalk improvements across the state.

The proposed R.I. Ready Municipal Road Fund Program would use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to leverage municipal investments to get more road paving projects done across the state.

Rhode Island’s roads annually rank among the worst in the nation. Last month, for the fourth consecutive year the state’s roads were identified as the worst in the nation by QuoteWIzard.

Under McKee’s fiscal 2024 budget proposal, each city and town would provide 67% of the project costs with the state matching the remaining 33%. Of the $20 million available, $15 million will be divided equally among each city and town.

The remaining $5 million will be distributed proportionally to municipalities based on the miles of roads in each community.