Is the state doing enough to combat its growing inventory of crumbling roads and bridges, and add to its construction sector workforce?

PBN Staff

08/27/2017

ROCKY ROADS:: Originally installed as a temporary fix 15 years ago, the braces under the connector for routes 6 and 10 in Providence have deteriorated to the point where they need to be replaced. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO — ROCKY ROADS: The need for significant work on many of the state's roads and bridges is obvious, as this view of one of the bridges in the 6-10 Connector in Providence shows. The question is, is what is being doen so far to fix the problem while providing a large enough boost to the state's construction sector employment? / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

While the Ocean State continues to rank highly in the nation for year-over-year growth in construction industry employment, it is still far behind its 2007 peak, when 23,400 people were employed in the sector.

With its 12.7 percent year-over-year increase in construction jobs, Rhode Island now has 20,400 people who make their living in construction. But even in a state with low unemployment, the need for more construction workers is great. The state’s road and bridge infrastructure project, RhodeWorks, still has many projects in the pipeline. But is the Raimondo administration really doing enough to both take care of our poor infrastructure and create more jobs?

PBN Branded Content

Expanding Access, Advancing Care

At South County Health, access to exceptional healthcare is more than a mission — it’s…