In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today posted for public comment its Environmental Assessment (EA) for Toll Locations 1 and 2.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has acknowledged that the Environmental Assessment can be made available for public comment. Following the public comment period and once the comments are incorporated into the report, the FHWA will examine it further to determine if a full Environmental Impact Statement is warranted.
Toll Locations 1 and 2 are both located along Interstate 95 (I-95) in the southwestern part of Rhode Island. Each toll location functions independently of one another and is associated with the reconstruction or replacement of specific bridges in accordance with the Rhode Island Bridge Replacement, Reconstruction, and Maintenance Fund state law known as RhodeWorks and consistent with requirements set forth in 23 C.F.R 129.
The bridges at locations 1 and 2 are the Wood River Valley Bridge, the northbound and southbound Tefft Hill Trail Bridges, and the Baker Pines Bridge. The proposed toll systems at Toll Locations 1 and 2 will be used to collect toll revenues from tractor or truck tractors as defined in 23 C.F.R. 658.5, pulling a trailer or trailers and contained in RhodeWorks.
The Environmental Assessment will be posted on the RIDOT website and in public venues in the towns close to the tolling locations on November 6. These locations are:
Hopkinton
Ashaway Free Library, 15 Knight Street, Hopkinton, RI; Langworthy Public Library, 24 Spring Street, Hopkinton, RI; Town Hall, 1 Town House Road, Hopkinton, RI
Exeter
Exeter Public Library, 773 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, RI; Exeter Town Hall, 675 Ten Rod Road, Exeter, RI
Richmond
Clark Memorial Library, 7 Pinehurst Dr., Richmond, RI; Richmond Town Hall, 5 Richmond Townhouse Rd., Richmond, RI
Providence
Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Division of Project Management, Two Capitol Hill, Room 260, Providence, RI; Federal Highway Administration, 380 Westminster St., Providence, RI
RIDOT also will host a workshop and public hearing on the Environmental Assessment on Tuesday, November 21 at 6 p.m. at the Chariho Middle School, 455B Switch Road, Richmond.