Gov. Donald Carcieri and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) held a contract signing ceremony March 12 for the first American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 transportation construction project in Rhode Island. The event took place in the State Room of the State House.

This $2.4 million contract with D’Ambra Construction Company Inc. of Warwick, R.I. will resurface Route 138 in Tiverton. The project will include curbing, sidewalks, and drainage and guardrail improvements, from John Street to the Massachusetts State line. The total length of the construction project is 2.3 mi. (3.7 km).

“Putting Rhode Islanders back to work and improving our roads and bridges are just two of the benefits the ARRA funding brings to the state,” said Carcieri. “Awarding and signing construction contracts take the first steps towards purchasing the goods and services that will help turn this economy around.”

It is estimated that a total of 1,500 direct jobs and 3,500 indirect jobs will be created from the entire RIDOT stimulus plan. Approximately 32 direct jobs are expected to be created from just this one stimulus project.

“Under the ARRA, RIDOT will receive $138 million in direct funding supporting 50 infrastructure projects,” said RIDOT’s Director Michael P. Lewis. “While we highlight this Tiverton project as being the first one, nearly every other Rhode Island city or town will soon see a stimulus project.”

As of March 9, RIDOT has authorized 23 projects obligating $41.9 million. Eight projects have had their bids opened and 16 additional projects have been advertised. This means that nearly half of all of RIDOT’s stimulus projects are already under way in the bid process.

The Rhode Island stimulus package also will include two bridge cleaning contracts that will wash 130 of Rhode Island’s 772 bridges; apply lane striping on state roads and highways in 20 communities in northern Rhode Island, Providence, East Bay, and Aquidneck Island communities; and resurface approximately 45 mi. (72 km) of state roads and highways, including 7.6 mi. (12.2 km) of I-95 in southern Rhode Island.

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