EAST PROVIDENCE — Local, state and federal officials lauded the completion of the East Shore Expressway/Wampanoag Trail resurfacing project via a press release issued Monday morning, Oct. 17.

The effort is the first in Rhode Island to be done with funds provided by the Biden Administration’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

The additional monies allowed Rhode Island Department of Transportation to combine two projects originally set to begin construction in 2024 and 2025, so the entire Route 114 corridor at the junction off Interstate 195 beginning in East Providence and extending into Barrington could be paved three years earlier than planned.

Among those quoted in the release were Governor Dan McKee, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D), U.S. Congressman David Cicilline (D-Dist. 1), RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. and East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva.

“This was a rough stretch of road that caused a lot of busted rims and overtaxed tires. But thanks to federal funding, Route 114 is now safer, smoother, and more resilient to potholes. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has now delivered over $697 million in federal highway dollars to Rhode Island over the last two years and there are many more major transportation upgrades in the pipeline,” said Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Added Whitehouse, a senior member of Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, “The completion of the Route 114 resurfacing project is good cause for celebration – and just the beginning for Rhode Islanders. With over hundreds of millions of dollars on the way to our state over the next five years thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure bill, roads all across Rhode Island will soon be more durable, weather-resilient, and easier to navigate.”

The $11 million project resurfaced 5.2 miles of Route 114 starting on the East Shore Expressway, just south of the I-195 interchange in East Providence to near the Federal Road intersection in Barrington. The road is the main point of access for the entire East Bay region. The pavement was considered to be “in very poor condition” and in need of replacing.

“For too long Route 114 was in terrible shape, setting a poor first impression for visitors and Rhode Islanders alike,” McKee said. “Now thanks to the infusion of federal funds from the new infrastructure act, we’re getting our house in order and making our roads smoother and safer.”

Said Cicilline. “It’s great to see funding from the historic infrastructure law already being put to use here in Rhode Island. Thanks to this law, we were able to begin these projects years ahead of schedule. I want to thank all those who worked on this project and look forward to seeing all the other projects RIDOT is working on and will be able to complete thanks to the funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

The project resurfaced all median turning lanes on Route 114, which also were badly deteriorated and rutted. RIDOT also replaced hundreds of feet of sidewalk on the west side of Route 114 between Route 103 (County Rd) and Federal Road. Other enhancements included stormwater improvements with replacement of deteriorated catch basins and cleaning and flushing the entire system for improved performance during heavy rainfall.

The pavement mixes RIDOT uses today are far more durable and include additives that significantly extend the service life of the new pavement. In addition to providing a smoother riding surface, the more durable pavement also reduces the need for future pavement projects saving millions of dollars and reducing construction time which helps reduce greenhouse gases.

“At RIDOT we’re committed to putting the money from the IIJA into the ground as quickly as possible, and have been able to accelerate more than 100 projects on average about four years faster than originally planned,” Alviti said. “Much credit goes to Senator Reed and the whole Congressional delegation for their efforts for securing the additional funding, and for Governor McKee for supporting these projects with the necessary state matching funds to make projects like Route 114 a reality.”

“The City of East Providence would like to thank RIDOT and our federal delegation for addressing and funding the much-needed repairs on the East Shore Expressway/Wampanoag Trail,” DaSilva said.