Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently celebrated the completion of the $8.9 million Aquidneck Avenue project in Middletown.
The project rebuilt the deteriorated road base and made numerous safety improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Approximately 16,100 vehicles use the section daily.
Workers used a process called pavement reclamation that rebuilds the base of the roadway to provide a long-lasting repair of the driving surface. New sidewalks were built along the western side of the road, bike lanes were installed, and pedestrian crossing features were added at the entrance of a school.
RIDOT coordinated with the Newport Water Department to install a water main. Middletown and Newport each contributed up to $267,000 for the main.
“Aquidneck Avenue is a perfect example of our commitment to address important roads for our communities that have not been properly maintained for decades,” RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. said at the event. “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.”
Aquidneck Avenue was part of RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and transportation infrastructure. It was one of the first projects RIDOT funded with federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act investments.