It's hard to recall when traffic flowed smoothly through Apponaug. That's probably because it never did, except in the dead of night. It was no better Friday morning. Bumper to bumper, cars snaked up Centerville Road to the Toll Gate Road
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It’s hard to recall when traffic flowed smoothly through Apponaug. That’s probably because it never did, except in the dead of night.
It was no better Friday morning. Bumper to bumper, cars snaked up Centerville Road to the Toll Gate Road intersection, where traffic came to a standstill.
And then, amazingly for those driving through the village at the time, dozens of cars were parked on what will become the Veterans Memorial Drive extension when the Apponaug Circulator project is fully completed in more than a year.
Was this portion of the project that will replace conventional signalized intersections with five roundabouts about to open?
The answer is yes, but not for several weeks, Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti told an entourage of elected officials and labor leaders as he took them on a walking tour of the $71 million project. Actually, they walked only a portion of the 2.3-mile project to a tent where officials extolled how the development will not only enhance traffic flow but also serve as a catalyst to revitalization of the village while improving the environment.
Alviti said the system of roundabouts, storm drainage systems, and plantings “really embodies the new ways roads are being built.” Alviti pointed out a water retention pond as the group followed.
“It’s a storm water treatment system. All runoff will be clean before it goes into the Apponaug River [which is barely a trickle], the cove and the bay,” he said.
He reported that the system now allows for herring to swim directly upstream into Gorton Pond. The project has also involved the removal of abandoned underground fuel storage tanks and contaminated soils.
He said by the end of October, the major roads within the project will be completed and that an estimated 20,000 of the 25,000 vehicles now driving through the center of the village will be rerouted to the Veterans Memorial Drive extension, reducing the time to get through the village by a quarter to three quarters.
The final piece of work will be the roundabout replacing the Apponaug Four Corners intersection and that section of Post Road in front of City Hall.
The attention to the environment has been huge, says Steve Cardi, treasurer of the Cardi Construction Co., which won the $30 million contract to do the job. He said each phase of the project is reviewed for environmental implications, from its design to implementation. He added that his crews went a step further, removing a couple of underground tanks filled with “sludge” that could have been bypassed according to the plans.
But while a lot of traffic will bypass the village, Mayor Scott Avedisian sees it as giving Apponaug new life. Had original plans for the bypass been followed, he noted that intersections similar to those at Greenwich, East and Main Avenues would have turned vast sections of the village into concrete and asphalt.
“Apponaug would have been one large intersection,” he said.
Tracing the history of the project, Avedisian noted that discussions of revising the traffic pattern date back 44 years to the administration of former Mayor Eugene McCaffrey.
Avedisian said the “slow and steady” has won out, giving credit to all those who came together and to the advocacy of Lincoln Chafee as mayor and then as U.S. senator.
“You’ll get a revitalized Apponaug happening,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, who was praised for securing much of the federal funding for the project, called the development “well managed, well designed and well thought out.” According to Alviti, federal funds will pay for 80 percent of project costs.
“It makers Apponaug a destination,” Reed said. “It puts people to work right away…jobs today for jobs tomorrow.”
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse expressed his enthusiasm for roundabouts, rather than signalized intersections, and in reference to the state’s RhodeWorks program said, “We’re doing one good thing after another.”
U.S. Rep. James Langevin pointed to the safety of roundabouts and said they have been shown to reduce intersection fatalities by 90 percent.
Gov. Gina Raimondo was not able to attend the event, but Alviti was certain to mention her and her commitment to improving the state’s infrastructure. Nor did he leave out those legislators who voted for the $4.7 billion RhodeWorks project to be completed over 10 years with $450 million of that funding coming from controversial truck tolls.
He thanked legislators “for the courage to get this legislation passed.”
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richardcorrente
You may love it. You may hate it. One thing you have to say. It came in on time and on budget.
I spoke to Steve Cardi who expressed his commitment to the environment while at the same time insisting on staying on schedule and on time. I complemented him on his friendly staff of traffic controllers who, in spite of the weather and the dust storms, always seem to smile at all the drivers making their way through the construction. I walked away with a greater understanding of the committment of Cardi Construction Co., a company that gives its word and then actually keeps it.
Great job Cardi's.
Richard Corrente
Endorsed Democrat for Mayor
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 Report this
Thecaptain
Another ridiculous statement Rick. The project is not complete as of this date. Further, there has been no comment from DOT as to the quality of the project or to the adherence to code. Let me also remind you that there has been one death on the project. As for as to adherence to code, there have been hundreds of documented code violations from improper fill, lack of required dust mitigation, lack of continuous sweeping, inconsistent grade, gross lack of compaction, etc, etc, etc. These issues have not only been documented by myself, but also by the onsite inspectors. All of these issues impact the quality of life of the surrounding residents. Also, not one of the political hacks posing for the photo op have ever questioned any of the issues on the project even when they have fielded numerous calls from constituents. Unfortunately, the state has chosen to turn their back and not enforce the Blue Book. (That would be the Rhode Island Specification for Road and Bridge Design).
So in the end they will boast that the job comes in on time and on budget with but no statements of quality. I cant wait to see what the plantings look like 6 months after the project is complete and also the spaulling of the concrete that takes place from improper fill. From and inspection point of view it is a complete abortion. One other note Rick, are you aware that National Grid, being a foreign corporation, is not held to the standard of code compliance as local contractors?
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 Report this
richardcorrente
Dear Thecaptain,
Can you think of one project ever constructed that didn't have some kind of issue: fill, dust, sweeping etc. as you stated.
You will notice that I only mentioned that the project came in on time and on budget I don't think that is a ridiculous statement at all and no, I did not know that National Grid was not "held to the standard of code compliance" as you say. I wonder where you would recommend we get electricity from if not them. R.I. is finally fully deregulated. Lt. Governor Dan McKee announced that he wants "over 40 % of Rhode Islanders to seek an alternative to National Grid" as the source of electricity but the bill will still arrive from national Grid as the billing agent. In either event, National Grid had nothing to do with my complement to the Cardi people.
Enjoy your Summer Rob.
Richard Corrente
Endorsed Democrat for Mayor
P.S. I am having a fundraiser at Lemongrass on August 8th from 5 to 8 P.M. (1138 Post Rd.Warwick) The last time I saw you I asked who you were voting for in the Mayor's race; me or Avedisian. You told me you weren't sure if you were even going to vote!
If you do, and if you would like to support me you are cordially invited. Please bring a personal check. As you know, I can't accept a company check.
Thanks Rob.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 Report this
Thecaptain
Your missing the point. The point is that the project is not finished as of this date so to make a statement that the project came in on time and on budget is simply ridiculous. Even more ridiculous without seeing the actual contract documents and cost over runs. The project has been plagued with non compliance issues at the expense of the tax payer. You want to be the Mayor and here is a perfect example of you closing your eyes to a situation that has a negative impact on the quality of life of the residents. Maybe its because your not a construction expert, maybe its because you choose not to see the obvious, or maybe you just don't care and everything is rosy to you. Either way you are traveling with blinders on.
Your reply about National Grid is simply ignorant. Construction is dictated by standards and procedures with code compliance regulations. Do you comprehend that?
Thursday, July 28, 2016 Report this
JohnStark
Mr. Corrente, It's time to get down to some brass tacks.
1. Warwick's current tax rate on residential property is $20.24 per $1000 of assessed value, and $30.36 on commercial property. In terms of "cutting taxes", to what extent would you reduce these rates, specifically?
2. Warwick currently spends about $18,000 per student in public education. Would you support a plan by which high school-aged students were given a voucher valued at the current tuition of whatever public, private, or parochial school would accept the student? Under the plan, if a student chose to attend, say, LaSalle Academy ($14,500), the city would retain the $3500 difference. Anything more than the $18k would be on the parent. This would force local public schools to compete for top students (enhancing quality), force them to keep an eye on spending, and save taxpayer money. Would you endorse such a plan, or continue with the status quo in the Education Blob?
3. Employees in the private sector are paid commensurate to their value in their organization. Would you endorse merit pay for teachers, whereby evaluations and classroom effectiveness would play a part in teacher compensation?
4. Which specific regulations in the city would you revise or eliminate to make the city more business friendly?
Warwick citizens have a multitude of additional questions, but this is a start.
Thursday, July 28, 2016 Report this