Feds Approve Tolls for Sakonnet River Bridge

The Federal Highway Administration has approved a plan to bring tolls to the new Sakonnet River Bridge, announced the Rhode Island Department of Transportation today. 

The FHWA issued a Revised Record of Decision (RROD) approving the addition of an All-Electronic Toll Collection (AETC) for the new Sakonnet Bridge.  The RROD concurs with RIDOT’s Final Environmental Impact Statement that the imposition of tolls on the bridge does not create any new significant environmental impacts.  

According to the DOT, the FHWA recommended the following measures to enhance the overall effects of the addition of tolls to the bridge:

• Monitor traffic diversion once tolls are implemented for a period of five years and provide an annual report on traffic volumes, estimated diversion rates and effects on low-income and minority communities;

• Develop a process to mitigate impacts of the toll to the Little Compton School Department which buses students over the bridge to Portsmouth High School; and

• Require a fare structure that addresses the accumulated cost of repeated, daily trips over the bridge. 

Toll collection is expected to begin this summer. 

RITBA recently approved a toll schedule of $.75 for vehicles with transponders issued by RITBA, including out-of-state residents. It further approved an unlimited number of trips per calendar day after motorists pay for one round-trip crossing.

The announcement today comes only two days after the town of Portsmouth voted to file a lawsuit against several defendants, including the RITBA and DOT director Michael Lewis.

The announcement also comes a day prior to a State House hearing on two bills, which if approved, would repeal the transfer of the bridge's ownership to RITBA.

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