RIDOT Economic Recovery Program Facts

RIDOT initially designated 54 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) projects worth $137 million. Thanks to low bids for some of these initial projects, RIDOT was able to add an additional 8 ARRA projects to its program.

As of February 1, 2010, 53 projects have been authorized for funding and 44 are under construction. Eighty-one percent of these contracts were awarded to Rhode Island companies.

RIDOT has also committed $20 million in aid for all of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns for local road improvements through the Roadway Investment – Local Equity Aid Program.

Highlights of RIDOT’s 62 ARRA projects include:

• Long-term maintenance to the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge.
• Rehabilitation or replacement of eight bridges.
• Two bridge cleaning contracts for washing of 130 of Rhode Island’s 772 bridges.
• Drainage improvement projects in 10 communities.
• Two enhancement projects for sidewalk reconstruction projects in Providence and an enhancement project for repairs to the historic Kingston Station.
• Environmental preventative maintenance contracts including review and cleaning of 60 out of 130 advanced systems for handling storm water runoff.
• Repair and replacement of various lengths of damaged, rusted or substandard guardrail throughout the State.
• Reconstruction of a portion of Hartford Avenue in Johnston.
• Lane striping application on State roads and highways in 20 communities in Northern Rhode Island, Providence, East Bay, and Aquidneck Island communities.
• Replacement of substandard and non-functioning highway lighting on four exits on I-295 from Warwick to Johnston.
• Pavement restoration using chip seal overlay, crack sealing and pavement reclamation techniques on 74.6 miles of State roads and highways throughout Rhode Island.
• Resurfacing of approximately 54.8 miles of State roads and highways, including 7.6 miles of I-95 in southern Rhode Island.
• Handicapped accessibility improvements for sidewalks through 19 projects.
• Replacement of worn out highway signage on Route 37, Route 10 and portions of I-95 from West Greenwich to Pawtucket.
• Installation of traffic monitoring devices at nearly 80 locations statewide.
• Completing of a center median landscaping project to beautify Route 1 in South Kingstown
• Installation and/or upgrades to traffic signals at 26 intersections statewide.
• Maintenance and repair of traffic signals at 60 intersections statewide.