Newport This Week

Bridge Plans Still Have a Long Way to Go



Stressing that the recently released draft proposal issued by the Federal Highway Administration is still open to change, a public workshop hosted by the state’s transportation agency on Dec. 12 at City Hall outlined the broad strokes of the plan, providing opportunity for residents and other stakeholders to put their ideas in writing.

No verbal public testimony was taken at the hour-long meeting. Instead, Jody Richards, project manager from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and engineers from Providence-based VHB, presented a truncated overview of the so-called “proposed action,” allowing those in attendance to visit one of three “stations” set up to accept comment and field questions.

After the release of the Environmental Assessment draft in November, a one-month public comment period opened, where citizens could read the 200-page report and submit opinions online. However, the City Council has requested that this window for comment be extended to allow residents more time to understand the document. Richards said that RIDOT would consult with the FHA about the city’s request.

“Certainly, we will consider it. We will work with the highway administration to evaluate if we can extend the deadline,” he said.

With an estimated cost of $56.4 million, and with funding coming from both state and federal dollars, the proposal will significantly alter the manner in which motorists enter and leave the city via the Pell Bridge, as well as add upgraded sidewalks, new bike paths and a proposed park-and-ride with between 250 and 300 parking spaces.

Additionally, there are five new “adaptive” traffic signals, which conform to real-time traffic conditions, spaced throughout the North End with the intent of increasing safety and improving flow.

The proposal would extend JT Connell Highway from the Admiral Kalbfus Road rotary to Farewell Street, improving the connection between the North End and downtown. The option for eastbound off-ramp traffic through the current exit toward downtown will be removed, funneling traffic via Halsey Street along to Admiral Kalbfus Road. A single ramp will take motorists on and off the bridge in each direction.

With more than 200 car accidents within the defined site area identified in a four-year traffic study between 2012 and 2016, and with more than 70 occurring on the Pell Bridge off-ramp, Richards said the upgrades are partly meant to improve safety for drivers, as well as address the bottleneck that often occurs when motorists entering Newport turn right onto Farewell Street.

“It’s a draft document. Nothing is set in stone,” he said. “This is us putting the alternatives together and our analysis and then selecting what we think is the preferred approach that really maximizes the benefits and minimizes the negatives. We are really at the beginning of this process. We have a long way to go.”

After the comment period, the state is anticipating a “finding of no significant impact,” known as a FONSI, which will allow for construction to begin in spring 2021 and end sometime in 2024. However, the federal agency could request a more in-depth environmental assessment, pushing the timeline forward.

State and local officials restarted talks of reconfiguring the Pell Bridge ramp and surrounding area in spring 2018, and several public workshops hosted by RIDOT have resulted in hundreds of comments that they say have shaped the proposal. The project is now at about 30 percent through the design phase. The agency must work with federal officials under the National Environmental Policy Act, which outlines a series of steps related to environmental impacts.

“When agencies use federal dollars, there are certain regulations that you have to go through to make sure you are not impacting the environment. That’s what this process really is about,” said Richards.

Richards said that much of the public feedback touched on “connectivity” between the North End and the rest of the city, improved pedestrian activity, water drainage and eminent domain concerns, among other issues.

“We also had a lot of comments from businesses,” he said.

The plan could potentially open up between 20 and 30 acres of city-owned land for new development.

Public comment is being accepted until Dec. 23.

The only other presentation scheduled after the plan was released and during the public comment period on Dec. 17 was cancelled. At press time no other presentation has been publicized.

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