Rhode Island’s Infrastructure
Rhode Island residents are the most dissatisfied with their road conditions, compared to all other states. Earlier this month, Governor Raimondo signed a bill to have tolls specifically for large trucks in order to combat the wear and tear these trucks cause on the roads. According to 24/7 Wall St.com, some Rhode Island residents were happy with this decision and feel like it was a move in the right direction while others think it isn’t the right thing to do. In the past, Rhode Island has depended on a gas tax, similar to other states, for infrastructure repairs, but the funds aren’t enough to handle this large of an endeavor.
Road Dissatisfaction
Rhode Island currently ranks as the third-worst state in the nation for road quality, with a staggering 60.2% of its urban roads classified in poor condition as of 2026. This infrastructure crisis persists despite the state maintaining one of the highest capital outlays per lane mile in the country, a spending paradox that has left residents increasingly critical of current funding strategies. The state is currently moving to reactivate its RhodeWorks truck-only tolling program following a 2024 federal appeals court reversal that deemed the system’s previous daily caps unconstitutional. As Rhode Island joins more than 35 other states that collectively generate over $20 billion in annual toll revenue for infrastructure, officials are now deploying updated, uncapped electronic gantries designed to meet federal commerce standards while attempting to address the state’s significant backlog of bridge and pavement repairs.
Current Plans
Recently, Raimondo proposed RhodeWorks, a long-term budget amendment to increase spending on roads, bridges, and mass transit projects by $1.1 billion over the next 9 years. This plan is estimated to fix more than 150 bridges that are structurally deficient, repair another 500 bridges to prevent them from becoming structurally deficient, and create 12,000 jobs, which could improve Rhode Island’s driving conditions. The plan is also estimated to save $1 billion by not waiting and letting the road and bridge conditions become worse. According to Rhode Island’s Department of Transportation, the RhodeWorks plan has specific legislation in it to prevent cars and small trucks from paying road user fees to fund the projects.
