A company hired by the Town of Bristol is working to improve sidewalks along both sides of Hope Street, in the area between Silver Creek and Colt State Park. When talking about the project, Town Administrator Steven Contente is careful not to say they are replacing the sidewalks; technically, they are repairing them. In this case, the difference matters.

“This problem has been going on for 15 or 20 years,” Mr. Contente said. Because Route 114 is a state road, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) has responsibility for both the roadway and sidewalks. A major reconstruction of sidewalks from Washington Street in Bristol all the way north into Warren was on the state’s to-do list and originally scheduled for 2019. However, it was pushed back and is currently scheduled for 2025.

The state plan, which would cost several million dollars, would involve major reconstruction of the sidewalks, including management around trees, roots, crosswalks, curbs and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance.

The town effort, on the other hand, is simple maintenance of existing sidewalks, meaning they can only repair in-kind, not touching any trees, or changing curbs, materials or designs. The town is also spending only $145,900 on the effort, with low-bidder Narrangansett Improvement Co. doing the work along about eight-tenths of a mile of roadway.

“We’ve learned over the last few years that the town is required to maintain state sidewalks, and we’re liable for claims on those sidewalks,” Mr. Contente said. “We’ve also seen our claims have been going up.”

Insurance or liability claims could be connected to trip-and-falls or other injuries resulting from the conditions of the sidewalks.

“We knew we needed to do something about this area, and we couldn’t wait any longer,” Mr. Contente said, adding that they are still pushing DOT to keep a focus on the larger-scale project.

The town’s $145,900 is being taken from its roadway repair budget. The area of Hope Street from the Silver Creek Bridge to Colt Avenue (across from the entrance to Colt State Park) was rated by the town’s consulting engineer as the worst section of sidewalks in need of “maintenance.”