www.recovery.ri.gov is official portal for all ARRA activities in Rhode Island
Governor Donald L. Carcieri was joined by Speaker William Murphy, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-Weed and Michael P. Lewis, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), at a press conference today to announce details of the RIDOT projects to be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Under the Act, Rhode Island will receive $138 million in direct funding to support 50 transportation and infrastructure projects across Rhode Island. These projects will be completed in conjunction with nearly $60 million worth of projects – including the first allotment of funds toward replacement of the Pawtucket River Bridge – already scheduled to go to construction in 2009.
“These funds will further our ongoing efforts to improve Rhode Island’s infrastructure and support a strong economic development foundation,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “Not only will this enhance our state’s transportation system, but it will also put Rhode Islanders back to work.”
This week, RIDOT expects to receive authorization from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the amount of $25.9 million. This will fund 15 projects, which will go to construction in April when construction season begins. The State will continue to receive funding for additional projects on a rolling basis as they work through the contract award process and become ready for funding.
“The Department is ready to handle this increased workload and is excited about completing these much needed projects for Rhode Island motorists,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said.
The authorization to utilize these funds means that RIDOT will be able to award contracts to companies, allowing them in turn to purchase supplies, to allocate equipment and other resources, and to assign personnel to these jobs. The last of these, the creation of jobs, is the goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The 50 transportation projects are expected to create 1,500 direct jobs and 3,500 indirect jobs. On Monday, Governor Carcieri signed the official letter to the FHWA certifying the use of the federal stimulus money.
The transportation projects are geographically diverse and will impact every corner of Rhode Island. These include long-term maintenance of the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge as well as rehabbing or replacing 5 other bridges in our state, resurfacing 45 miles of state roads, replacing guardrails and highway lighting, and addressing pavement deterioration on 80 miles of State roads and highways to name just a few.
The Governor also announced the official launch of the website www.recovery.ri.gov, which will be the portal for all ARRA activities.
www.recovery.ri.gov portal has been designed to be the central point of information for all activities related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Specifically, information can be found about:
• Programs & Projects: As information becomes available, this site will assist Rhode Islanders in locating information about sources of funding, opportunities for competitive grants, and other assistance provided through the Recovery Act.
• Transparency & Accountability: We will use this website to ensure strict accountability, oversight, and transparency. All certifications, reporting, project status, and expenditures related to the Recovery Act will be made available here, for taxpayers to see where the money is being spent.
The site will also include links to federal agencies, including the official federal website, www.recovery.gov and federal and state agencies, news and information, frequently asked questions, and the ability to sign up to be alerted to automatic updates.
RIDOT and the Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery and Reinvestment recently made available an online Contract Opportunities Calendar, which demonstrates the high level of activity of advertising for construction of these projects. A full list of all 50 projects is available on the website as well at www.dot.ri.gov.
The www.recovery.ri.gov site was designed and developed through a partnership with OERR, Rhode Island Interactive and DoIT (division of Information Technology), at no cost to taxpayers.
About RI.gov/Rhode Island Interactive
http://www.RI.gov is Rhode Island's homepage and official Web site, a collaborative effort between the state of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Interactive. RI.gov site and services are developed and maintained by Rhode Island Interactive, a Providence-based, wholly owned subsidiary of the eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV).