Governor Dan McKee, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Gabe Amo, R.I. Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi, R.I. Senator Mark McKenney, Federal Highway Administration Rhode Island Division Administrator Derek Torrey, and Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr. today gathered with other federal, state and local leaders to highlight the largest-ever federal grant awarded to RIDOT and to kick off the new I-95 15 bridges project. The project will remove 15 bridges from the state's backlog of poor and fair to poor condition bridges along I-95 and Route 10 between Providence and Warwick.
The project takes a holistic approach to addressing these bridges to ensure the safe movement of over 185,000 vehicles, including about 9,000 trucks and heavy freight vehicles. Nine of the 15 bridges are structurally deficient. Three are rated among the top five most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Rhode Island.
The project is supported by a $251 million federal Bridge Investment Program grant secured by Rhode Island's Congressional Delegation in July. The total project cost is $779 million, and was awarded to the design-build, joint-venture team of Skanska, McCourt and Aetna Bridge.
"We thank the Federal Highway Administration for this unprecedented level of support, and we tip our hats to our Congressional Delegation for their efforts to secure this funding—an investment that will keep I-95 operating safely and efficiently for decades to come," Governor McKee said.
"This infusion of federal funding is a quarter of a billion dollars for needed bridge improvements that Rhode Island won't have to pay from the state's budget. It will help keep traffic and commerce safely flowing along this vital transportation artery, which carries 185,000 vehicles each day, and needs attention. This is a forward-looking investment that will help make needed repairs to improve safety, efficiency, reliability, and longevity for these bridges," said Senator Reed.
"Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making strategic job-creating investments in the Ocean State's infrastructure for the twenty-first century," said Senator Whitehouse, who helped create the Bridge Investment Program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. "This major round of federal funding will support bridge repairs across the busy I-95 corridor and allow Rhode Islanders to get around the state safely and smoothly. When the time comes, the delegation will be ready to secure funding for the Washington Bridge rebuild."
"Every single bridge in Rhode Island should be safe, accessible, and reliable," said Congressman Seth Magaziner. "Rhode Islanders depend on bridges to get to school and work, and to see their loved ones. I'm proud to work with my colleagues in the congressional delegation to deliver this funding and am confident that there is more to come."
"The I-95 corridor is a critical artery for Rhode Island, which is why we have a responsibility to ensure that it remains safe and reliable for everyone who depends on it," said Congressman Amo. "With this ambitious plan to replace 15 ailing bridges, state and federal officials are continuing to join forces — thinking big, acting boldly, and delivering critical upgrades to key infrastructure priorities in our state."
"A grant of this magnitude sends a clear message. It demonstrates the confidence the federal government has in the state's ability to deliver high-quality projects," Director Alviti said. "It will eliminate nine more deficient bridges from our inventory and assures, along with our many other projects, that we'll hit our 10 percent bridge deficient goal in 2026 as promised in the first 10 years of RhodeWorks."
A total of 11 bridges will be repaired and four will be eliminated. RIDOT also will rebuild Route 10 from Elmwood Avenue to Park Avenue – transforming it into a boulevard with a shared use path to provide better connectivity for all users.
Work on the project begins immediately, and RIDOT expects the Elmwood Avenue Bridge, which carries I-95 over Elmwood Avenue in Providence, to be the first bridge repaired. It will be replaced using accelerated bridge construction methods beginning late summer/early fall. The entire project will last seven years, finishing in 2031.
For more information and to see before and after images of some of the proposed improvements, visit www.ridot.net/The-I-95-15.
All construction projects are subject to changes in schedule and scope depending on needs, circumstances, findings and weather.
The I-95 15 project is made possible by RhodeWorks and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. RIDOT is committed to bringing Rhode Island's infrastructure into a state of good repair while respecting the environment and striving to improve it. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.