Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr. and Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown today joined with other state and local leaders to mark the completion of a project to reconstruct a portion of Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown, one of the town's busiest commercial corridors. This construction season, RIDOT completed work on an $8.9 million project to rebuild the badly deteriorated road base and make numerous other safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Work on Aquidneck Avenue was one of the first projects RIDOT undertook utilizing funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as part of a five-year, $500 million investment in pavement projects throughout Rhode Island.
"Aquidneck Avenue serves as a critical connector for Middletown's vibrant business community and J.H. Gaudet Middle School," said Congressman Gabe Amo. "I'm glad to see the completion of this project supported by federal and local investments to help Aquidneck Island implement critical safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, creating a safer and more accessible environment for all road users."
"Aquidneck Avenue is a perfect example of our commitment to address important roads for our communities that have not been properly maintained for decades," Director Alviti said. "Today we have a solidly rebuilt roadway that will serve the businesses on this road and residents and visitors who frequent them for many years to come."
The project included reconstruction of the road base using a process called pavement reclamation in which the base of the roadway was rebuilt to provide a long-lasting repair of the driving surface. RIDOT also coordinated with the Newport Water Department to install a water main on a portion of the roadway – with Newport and Middletown each contributing up to $267,000 for it – as part of the project. This minimized the overall disruption to motorists with only one construction project instead of two.
"Investments from the federal, state and local levels have contributed to bringing these much-needed improvements not only to the roadway, but also the watermain underneath, as well as critical safety features that will serve our students, motorists, and local residents for many years to come," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma said. "Much credit goes to former Middletown Town Councilor M. Theresa Santos, who passed last year. She persevered to get this project underway for many, many years."
The Aquidneck Avenue project also will improve pedestrian safety with new sidewalks along the western side of the road and pedestrian crossing features at the entrance to J.H. Gaudet Middle School. RIDOT also installed bike lanes along the corridor, supporting alternative forms of transportation that result in improved air quality through reduced automobile emissions.
Approximately 16,100 vehicles per day use this section of Aquidneck Avenue.
The reconstruction of Aquidneck Avenue was made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT's ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island's transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and create jobs. Learn more at www.ridot.net/RhodeWorks.