Transportation 2035 - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

December 2012LOCAL ROADWAY MANAGEMENT PROGRAMRhode Island cities and towns maintain about 5,573 miles of roads as of 2008. Like the state, they have not had sufficient funds to maintain their systems.Many streets have been constructed by developers, and then turned over to municipalities. While property tax revenues increase, pressures and costs rise forservices like schools, police, and fire services. The need for pavement maintenance does not occur for ten or more years. By that time, increased property taxrevenues have long been assimilated into the municipal budget. Sidewalks and traffic calming projects are also cited as needs by the cities and towns. A localroads program has been included in the FY13-16 TIP with $4.3 million to begin to assist municipalities with transportation infrastructure maintenance.BRIDGESAs of 2012, the State owns 611 bridges and culverts, and cities and towns own 149 bridges on the National Bridge Inventory. Two of the largest bridges in thestate, the Mt. Hope Bridge, and the Pell Bridge at each end of Aquidneck Island, are operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority. Statewide, atotal 772 bridges on the National Bridge Inventory require ongoingmaintenance.Given the large number of historic bridges in Rhode Island, it is to beexpected that a considerable percentage would be classified as functionallyobsolete. The primary cause of functional obsolescence is deck geometry orunder clearances that do not meet contemporary design standards.“Functionally obsolete” bridges are considered to be performingsatisfactorily (good traffic flow, low accident rates), and are notprogrammed to be worked upon, unless they are also structurally deficient.Decisions to replace or rehabilitate bridges to address obsolescence mustalso consider the impact on historic resources and community character.Rhode Island Bridges, 2012greater than 20' longBridge Classification State-maintained Locally maintainedStructurally sound 239 39% 47 31%Functionally obsolete* 179 29% 40 27%Structurally deficient** 123 21% 34 23%Posted bridges 61 10% 22 15%Closed bridges 9 1% 6 4%Total Bridges: 611 100% 149 100%*Functionally obsolete: substandard geometrical condition of the structure (outdated design)**Structurally deficient: deterioration of the physical condition of the elements that make up the bridgeSource: RIDOT, 2012As with highway pavement, limited resources have been allocated to bridge maintenance over the past 20 years. Without ongoing maintenance efforts, manybridges have deteriorated and now need expensive rehabilitation. When bridges become severely structurally deficient, vehicle weight restrictions are posted.In extreme cases bridges are closed to all traffic. This impacts local travel, commerce, emergency response, public transit and school buses.There are 83 bridges on the National Bridge Inventory with posted weight limits. Alternate routes for heavy trucks (> 18 tons) have been posted, and these willbe in effect for several years as design and construction can be completed. Additionally, the southern span of the Washington Bridge has been found to beseriously affected by deterioration due to age and lack of proper maintenance over the years. All of these spans are critical links in the state and regionalTransportation 2035 (2012 Update)State Guide Plan Element 611Rhode Island Statewide Planning ProgramPage 2-3