Transportation 2035 - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

December 2012transportation systems. Other significant bridge rehabilitation needs of the State system include the Route 6/10 interchange bridges in Providence, and bridgesof I-95, I-195, and I-295.RIDOT has developed a bridge washing program to remove salt and sand, reduce corrosion and maintain the functional life and safety of bridges. This programwill be expanded to provide for the cyclical, periodic cleaning of all of Rhode Island’s bridges. Bridge inspections have been brought up to date.Because of the importance of the state’s bridge infrastructure, the FY 2013 – 2016 TIP allocates $39.5-$46 million per year to bridge rehabilitation. However,even this level of effort will not be sufficient if additional state funds are not allocated to regular bridge maintenance.ITSThe state has made great strides in recent years in implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). This network is in place to provide drivers withbetter traffic information and also to clear traffic incidents more quickly and reduce congestion. The heart of the system is a Transportation ManagementCenter (TMC) which is staffed 24 hours a day utilizing funding from the Interstate Program. The TMC receives traffic video signals from cameras and speedsensors. Information on traffic conditions and incidents can be passed along to motorists by several means, including RIDOT’s website, highway advisory radio,and variable message signs along the highways. RIDOT cooperates with neighboring states in alerting drivers to major incidents.RIDOT phased ITS Deployment Plan currently covers the Providence metropolitan area and has been expanded to cover major arterials in the East Bay andSouth County. They will continually need to update this plan as new technology becomes available. It will also be important to improve incident reporting todemonstrate congestion reduction due to reduced incident clearance times. A more detailed discussion of the benefits of ITS is included in the CongestionManagement Process in Appendix A.Transportation 2035 (2012 Update)State Guide Plan Element 611Rhode Island Statewide Planning ProgramPage 2-4