By Dee DeQuattro, WPRO News
People in East Bay communities will have their chance to voice their opinions on the toll proposal for the new Sakonnet River Bridge next week.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation will be hosting two community workshops on Monday, December 3 at Portsmouth High school and Tuesday, December 4 at Tiverton High School from 7 to 10 p.m. to address community concerns, listen to public comment, and offer the public a chance to submit written comment on the proposal.
All the input that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation receives on the matter will be considered as the RIDOT finalizes a re-evaluation of the bridge's approved Environmental Impact Statement that will be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration next year.
At the workshop DOT Director Michael Lewis will speak and discuss findings to date regarding the tolls. WHile open to any and all public comment one component the workshop is particularly interested in is the placement of a toll booth and how that would effect the areas local traffic. If people would take different routes to avoid the tolls it may impact traffic on area roads and it may also effect the toll booths revunue generating capabilities.
Although people are welcome to voice concerns about the cost of the proposed tolls it is not the DOT that will be setting the rate.
In the 2012 General Assembly session the transfer of ownership of the Sakonnet River Bridge and the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge from the RIDOT to the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike authority was authorized. In order to take over the bridges the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority needs to find a revenue source to help fund bridge maintenence.
"This bridges are unique they are bay crossing bridges over salt water,that are very costly to maintain," explained RIDOT Communications Director Charles St. Martin. St. Martin noted that replacing these bay area bridges prematurely is extremely costly and proper maintence would help avoid this scenario.
He referenced the Sakonnet Bridge which was just recently replaced. "That bridge deteriorated partly to lack of maintenance," said St. Martin.
The Authority has proposed tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge as a way to raise revenues for bridge maintenance and repair. The Bridge and Turnpike Authority would be the group to set the toll rate for the bridge and St. Martin said he expects the authority will hold its own forums in the future to explore the matter if the transfer is complete.
The authority also oversees the Newport-Pell Bridge and the Mount Hope Bridge. Originally the Bridge and Turnpike Authority suggested increasing tolls on the Newport Pell-Bridge but that proposal has been put on hold pending the outcome of tolls on the New Sakonnet River Bridge.
