PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Transportation filed a formal request with the Federal Highway Administration requesting the rescission of a 2013 decision that granted the state the authority to impose tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge, RIDOT said Tuesday.
RIDOT said that the move was to remove doubt that there were plans to toll cars in Rhode Island. The tolling of cars was already prohibited by the General Assembly. The FHWA had told the state department previously that it did not have the authority to rescind the 2013 decision without a formal request from RIDOT.
RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin III said that the filing had to do with Portsmouth’s ability to bring a legal challenge against the FHWA’s previous decision.
“The statutory limit for any legal challenge is up this month,” said St. Martin. “Our request for the rescission would eliminate the need for the town to move forward with the legal challenge. And since RIDOT has no intention to toll the Sakonnet River Bridge and state law prohibits it, we requested that FHWA rescind it.”
“We have no intention of tolling cars,” stated RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. “This letter removes any ideas to the contrary.”