Portsmouth, RI – The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the dedication of its new Portsmouth Maintenance Facility, a much-needed improvement for personnel and equipment tasked with taking care of state roads throughout most of Bristol and Newport counties.
RIDOT Portsmouth garage exterior
The new 22,500sf building on Boyd’s Lane is five times larger than its predecessor. The old building, just a short distance away on Anthony Road, was so small that RIDOT could not park its fleet of trucks indoors. This left them exposed to the harsh marine climate, which led them to corrode far more quickly than other trucks of the same age and with the same mileage in the rest of RIDOT’s maintenance fleet.
RIDOT Portsmouth garage interior – main garage area
RGB Architects was designer of the project, and Gordon Archibald was civil engineer.
The facility includes adequate space for vehicles to be stored and repaired, a vehicle lift and trolley/crane system, a modern lubrication system, and a vehicle fuel depot center next to the building. The building includes office space for the entire 20-member staff of RIDOT’s Newport Maintenance District, as well as storage for a wide range of tools, equipment, and parts.
A number of energy-saving features were included in the design of the $7.4 million facility, including special insulated panels covering the entire structure. The old building had cramped quarters, failing roofing and siding, and lacked insulation in many areas. Instead of a lift to safely work under vehicles, the old garage had a pit in the floor. Lack of storage required items like chainsaws to be stored in office space. A picnic table served as the only conference table in the small lobby.
(l-r) RIDOT director Peter Alviti, RGB project manager Rick Jackson, and Gordon Archibald president Joe Giordano at the ribbon cutting.
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“With the $4.7 billion taxpayers are investing in our roads and bridges through the RhodeWorks program, we need to ramp up our ability to properly maintain our transportation network,” RIDOT Director Peter Alviti Jr. said. “That includes having the right trucks and equipment to do the job, and facilities to take store and take care of the assets that take care of our roads.”
The new Portsmouth Maintenance Facility was completed on time and approximately $500,000 under budget. It was made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development, and create jobs.
“It’s light-years ahead of the old building and it’s as environmentally friendly as a garage can be,” Alviti added.
