Portsmouth roundabout project paused. Why it also means a delay for repaving East Main Road
PORTSMOUTH — The state Department of Transportation has decided to postpone a proposed repaving and roundabout construction project on East Main Road around the Clements Market area.
RIDOT will still repave a stretch of that road in Middletown but the Portsmouth section will not move forward this year, according to state and local authorities.
Authorities cite a lack of consensus among stakeholders and potential litigation from local businesses.
Town Administrator Richard Rainer Jr. said RIDOT decided to postpone the project, which was in the final design phase and was scheduled to begin this spring. Rainer said the town did not make that decision. He cited a December meeting in which the Town Council voted in favor of a roundabout moving forward.
That December meeting was one of two in as many months in which business community members, residents and officials expressed concern as to whether construction could harm local businesses and whether it would mitigate traffic.
In an email this week, Rainer said starting on Jan. 10 there was some confusing and misleading dialogue between town and state authorities on the matter, which started with a Jan. 10 letter.
Eight days later, and after a call to the governor, Rainer said he received clarification.
Rainer acknowledged that litigation has been filed to stop the project from moving forward. According to a filing in Newport Superior Court, Clements Market is one of the parties behind the suit. Rainer said he received a call on Jan. 18 from RIDOT Director Peter Alviti to clarify why RIDOT has decided to postpone work in Portsmouth.
“(Alviti) stressed that RIDOT is committed to repairing and repaving East Main Road in Portsmouth and … acknowledged the concerning and misleading nature of the Jan. 10 letter to Portsmouth,” Rainer said this week.
“RIDOT will conduct the East Main Road project in two phases, starting in Middletown this coming summer. The Portsmouth portion will follow – likely 18 months or so after the start of the Middletown portion. (Alviti’s )goal is to allow time for current litigation to be resolved and time for further engagement with Portsmouth stakeholders.”
Rainer said he is not sure if the project will include a roundabout. Residents and officials during capacity meetings held in the Portsmouth High School auditorium appeared to agree that the road needs repaving but some were not convinced that a roundabout would mitigate speeding or accidents.
“I am sure a final decision will be made by RIDOT after they have had time to review the project again and re-engage with local stakeholders,” Rainer added.
RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin III said RIDOT’s director is calling for a collaborative solution.
“Director Alviti has reached out to the Town Administrator, and we have agreed to pause the roundabout portion of the project. The resurfacing project for East Main Road in Middletown will move forward this year while design work can proceed separately for the Portsmouth portion, affording the community time to build consensus on a design that is amenable to all parties,” St. Martin wrote in an email this week.
Dig deeper: A roundabout is planned in Portsmouth. Why an effort has started to stop construction.
In December, the council on a 4-2 vote agreed to move forward with the project.
In a separate 5-1 vote, the council voted for secondary access to the Clements Market plaza, as well as a light so the supermarket does not lose business.
Some opponents questioned if it would cause a traffic slowdown, especially during the summer months, and if such a move was necessary.
Other opponents said the area is responsible for less than 3% of accidents annually and no recent fatalities have been reported there.
Supporters say people speed on that area and roundabouts have been proven to slow down motorists.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RIDOT pauses Portsmouth roundabout project amid opposition
