DOT Digs Trench After Hearing Residents' Flooding Concerns

Department of Transportation (DOT) employees were seen Tuesday digging a drainage ditch less than six hours after hearing flooding concerns from residents.

Department of Transportation (DOT) workers were seen digging a drainage trench Tuesday less than six hours after hearing flooding concerns by local residents.  Heavy rains overnight Tuesday resulted in Park Avenue flooding, as well as school buses and commuters rerouting their travel morning to avoid the water.  Local blogger John McDaid sent an e-mail to DOT, as well as town and school officials, about the flooding. A wide trench appeared late Tuesday morning on the beach along Park Avenue.  A DOT employee installing new pedestrian crossing signs said workers dug the trench to prevent water from flooding onto Park Avenue. A second trench might be dug on Wednesday, he said. 

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Island Park Flooding Causes School Buses to Detour Day After DOT Visit

Local blogger John McDaid captured photos Tuesday of Park Avenue flooding, one day after Department of Transportation representatives visited the area to assess the situation.

For the third time this school year, flooding in Island Park interrupted the commute to school for several Portsmouth students.  Heavy rains overnight caused Park Avenue to flood Tuesday morning, forcing school buses to make detours and many residents using the Cove "Escape" Bridge to exit Island Park.  Island Park resident John McDaid, who operates the blog Hard Deadlines, captured the flooding in the photos seen above.  In an e-mail sent to the DOT, town and school department officials Tuesday, McDaid writes, "Whatever the cause, I would appreciate it if the RIDOT could work to resolve this issue affecting the safety of Island Park residents and our children." McDaid says the flooding problem dates back at least two years.  The flooding …

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Joe Sousa.

5:42 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

_ NO WAKE ZONE_ This area has always flooded .   more ›

Video: RI Department of Transportation Gives Updates on Sakonnet, Cove Bridge Projects

David Fish of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) spoke before the Town Council Monday night.

David Fish of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) provided an update on construction projects for both the Cove “Escape” Bridge and the Sakonnet River Bridge at Monday's Town Council meeting. According to Fish, the DOT will go out to bid for the Cove Bridge in late March. For a quick update on these two projects, view the videos at right. Town Councilor Keith Hamilton asked if the Hummocks ramp could be open during construction of the Sakonnet River Bridge. “We will have that language in the contract going forward,” Fish said. “…We will make sure emergency access will be provided.” The town council also expressed concern about the closure of the Cove Bridge during construction. From August to December, the Cove “Escape” …

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Newport County, East Bay Legislators Oppose Idea of Sakonnet Bridge Tolls

Once the Sakonnet River Bridge is completed, should ownership of the bridge be transferred to allow bridge tolls to be a solution to the state's transportation revenue decline?

Even before Gov. Lincoln Chafee has a chance to take a position on the idea of putting toll booths on the new Sakonnet River Bridge, local legislators are making it clear how they feel. Legislators have filed bills that would require the bridge to remain in the hands of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT), which does not have toll collection authority, rather than transfer to the Rhode Island Bridge and Transits Authority, which does have toll collection authority. Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton, Portsmouth) submitted a bill this week to prohibit tolls on the bridge and keep the DOT its owner. He calls implementing toll booths “short sighted” and argues it will unfairly increase day-to-day travel costs for …

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Where Have You Spotted Pothole Problems?

Help us keep tab on local road woes.

Winter weather wreaks havoc on our community in a number of ways, but potholes are definitely one of the most frustrating. Who doesn't love driving in what feels like an off-roading adventure, bump, bump, bumping along as we cringe at what's it's probably doing to our vehicle? Not fun. As potholes continue to appear on local streets, we want your help keeping tabs on the problem. If you've spotted a particularly bad crater, share the news in the comments section so other Portsmouth residents can be aware of where they are, and hopefully avoid them. Portsmouth's Deputy Finance Director Justin Lees asks residents to take the following steps if they believe a pothole may have caused damage to a vehicle. The vehicle's owner or operator should…

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Snow Storm Causes Multiple Car Crashes in Portsmouth Wednesday

Police and fire respond to several car crashes as the snow began to fall Wednesday afternoon.

Traffic was snarled to a crawl Wednesday on West Main Road as the snow began to fall earlier than predicted. Traffic waited as tow trucks removed vehicles from the scene of a four-car crash that occurred near the Bay View Apartments at 12:52 p.m. No injuries were reported. A crash involving a state Department of Transportation (DOT) plow and an SUV also occurred in Portsmouth Wednesday afternoon. "There was an incident that occurred with one of our plows," said DOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin. The crash occurred between noon and 1 p.m. on Route 24 at Boyd's Lane. The operator of the plow was transported by ambulance to Newport Hospital for treatment of injuries. His medical condition and identity are unknown at this time. Police and …

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Cove 'Escape' Bridge to Close for Eight Months During Construction

The Cove Bridge, also known as the Escape Bridge, will be closed during the construction of a new bridge, which is expected to take place from April or May through December.

State Rep. John Edwards (Dist. 70, Portsmouth and Tiverton) provided the Town Council with an update on the Cove "Escape" Bridge project during the council's meeting on Monday. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to tear down the Cove Bridge, also known as the Escape Bridge, and construct a new bridge in its place. According to Edwards, construction documents are 90 percent complete. A request for proposals will be issued to contractors between February and March. Construction on the bridge will begin in April or May. The bridge will be closed to traffic during the entire time of construction, which is expected to be completed in December. "They will close the bridge completely during that interim to expedite construction," …

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You Ask...Patch Answers!

Overnight Truckers in Lawton Valley?

Portsmouth Patch answers the questions: What's with the trucks parking at Lawton Valley?

This week, we answer a question from reader Terri-Lynn B. Thayer, who asked the following: Why does the town allow tractor trailer trucks to constantly park at Lawton's Valley? It would seem that this is a security issue parking such vehicles right next to a large public water supply. Sometimes, I even see trucks parked there from a Middletown trucking company. Emily Cousineau of the Rhode Island Water Resources Board states that the Department of Transportation is working at Lawton Valley Reservoir, specifically off West Main Road. According to Portsmouth Town Administrator Bob Driscoll, "The road where the trucks are parked, Old West Main Road, is State of Rhode Island property, not under the town's jurisidiction for issues of this …

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Joe Sousa.

6:45 am on Monday, December 13, 2010

They park the trucks there because they are not aloud to park any where else . The Town zoning ordinance bars them from parking on town roads, and next to residential neighborhoods . They are registered in RI and need to park some where. Leave them alone .   more ›