The repaving of troubled spots on East Main Road is finished for now. Here's what's next.
The construction work to repave stretches of East Main Road in Middletown and Portsmouth is finished — for now.
According to Charles St. Martin, spokesperson for the state Department of Transportation, the recent paving on East Main Road is part of a $4.6 million project to resurface roads in seven communities.
“In Middletown and Portsmouth, we paved sections of East Main Road between Turner Road and Turnpike Avenue,” St. Marin wrote to The Daily News in an email. “This project addressed the worst sections of the roadway to provide a better riding surface while we design two larger paving projects.”
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Those projects, St. Martin said, include the full resurfacing of East Main Road from Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown to Turnpike Avenue in Portsmouth, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of East Main Road and Turnpike Avenue, near Clements’ Marketplace.
“RIDOT anticipates beginning these larger projects (estimated at approximately $34 million) in early 2024,” St. Martin said.
This is all part of the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that allows RIDOT to invest $92 million in paving projects this year and nearly $500 million over the next five years, St. Martin said.
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Aquidneck Island isn’t the only place in Newport County benefiting from this money. Among the projects slated to begin this year is the repaving of East Road in Tiverton, from Route 179 to Route 81.
St. Martin said the pavement mixture being used on these projects is more durable and significantly extends the “service life” of the work.
“In addition to providing a smoother and long-lasting riding surface for drivers, the more durable pavement reduces the frequency of future paving projects, saving millions of dollars and conserving resources including petroleum products that are used in asphalt,” he wrote.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: East Main Road paving project in Middletown, Portsmouth completed
