Ian Donnis on Rhode Island’s infrastructure woes 10 years after RhodeWorks

Ian Donnis, a longtime political reporter, has been covering the recent failure of a highway ramp in Cranston that disrupted travel for motorists and Amtrak passengers. Last Friday, part of a bridge in poor condition fell onto a railroad track, surprising transportation officials who said there had been no prior signs of trouble. The infrastructure issue comes amid ongoing criticism of the Washington Bridge closure. The westbound span failed in December 2023 and has remained closed to traffic. The Cranston bridge failure comes about 10 years after the state unveiled RhodeWorks, an expensive and controversial infrastructure program designed to upgrade roads and bridges statewide. The law also created the state’s truck toll program, which was tied up in court for years after being challenged by a truckers association. The state ultimately won that legal fight, but resuming toll collection has been delayed, in part because the infrastructure used to collect tolls has become outdated. Donnis examined the program’s balance sheet and found it is currently underwater after a decade in operation. Later in the show, Kim and Eli discussed the “stories we wish we wrote,” including: Kim’s pick ‘Scorched-earth’ deed restrictions are making food deserts worse. Woonsocket, R.I., is feeling the impact by Jonmaesha Beltran, ecoRI/Boston Globe 24 purifying hours by Greta Shuster, Warwick Beacon Eli’s pick No discipline after Fall River police Facebook warrant investigation by Dan Medeiros, The Fall River Herald News Site where Benny’s used to be gets OK for re-development by Ryan Blessing, The Westerly Sun