Sakonnet Toll Deadline Extension Heads to Governor's Desk

Both the Rhode Island House and Senate approved legislation that would extend the deadline to decide on tolls for the Sakonnet River Bridge from April 1 to May 15 on Thursday, sending the bill to the Governor's Desk.

It is likely that Governor Lincoln D. Chafee will sign the bill, paving the way for it to be enacted by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority voted earlier this week to raise the toll from 10 cents to 50 cents, but the authority has agreed to delay any toll hike until lawmakers figure out how to deal with the state's transportation financing woes.

With the vote, the turnpike authority has set the stage for an increase no matter what the General Assembly decides to do, including a potential bill that would dramatically change the way road and bridge repairs are funded through the creation of a $1 billion infrastructure fund. That bill includes a provision that would eliminate tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge altogether and eliminate the turnpike authority, merging it into the state Department of Transportation.

The current 10 cent toll on the Sakonnet River Bridge was established by lawmakers last year as a placeholder to buy time until the toll issue could be sorted out in this legislative session.

Meanwhile, many residents on Aquidneck Island are increasingly worried about the effect tolls would have on business, tourism and commuters who live on the island but work on the mainland or in Massachusetts.

The bridge and turnpike authority is insisting that new revenue has to come in to pay for ongoing maintenance of all its bridges, not just the Sakonnet River Bridge.

That means that if tolls on the Sakonnet River Bridge don't increase, tolls on the Claiborne Pell Bridge will increase instead, from 83 cents to $1.04 for E-ZPass holders and from $4 to $5 for cash-paying drivers.

In an interview, RIBTA Chairman David Darlington said the vote is based on the authority's need to cover maintenance costs for all of the bridges it maintains.