Upswing in construction and economy highlighted at CIRI Spring Dinner Meeting.
House Speaker Mattiello and RIDOT Director Alviti
were featured speakers at May 17 event.
At our annual Spring Dinner Meeting, at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, CIRI members were updated on the early successes and groundswell created during the first two years of Rhode Island’s landmark RhodeWorks program. Featured speakers were:
Nicholas Mattiello
RI Speaker of the House
As someone with a continued family history in the construction industry, including early personal hands-on experience, Speaker Mattiello truly appreciates the role of our industry in fueling both jobs and the economy at large. His active support for the RhodeWorks, both pre-legislation and over the program’s first two years of operation, has been a contributing factor to its early success.
“When we look at every single proposal during the General Assembly sessions,” Mattiello said, “we ask what the impact will be for the economy, for the middle class, and for the jobs needed to keep our state moving forward. At the close of 2017, the Rhode Island economy was progressing faster than any other economy in the Northeast. And as a result of the tax cuts and incentive programs we’ve been able to pass, we’re now seeing cranes in the sky and miles of freshly paved roads.”
Colleagues that Mattiello credited with playing a major role in the success of the current economic upswing include Governor Raimondo, Senate President Domenic Ruggieri, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr., CIRI leaders and members, and his Chief of Staff, Leo Skenyon.
Peter Alviti, Jr. P.E.
RIDOT Director
Appropriately introduced by CIRI President Stephen Cardi II as the “architect of RhodeWorks,” Director Alviti presented a big-picture update of the progress made to date with emphasis on the prior 12 months. To help frame what had been accomplished and what was on the horizon as of May 17, Alviti offered the following points:
· Completion of 109 bridge repair projects and paving of nearly 200 lane-miles
· More than 110 active projects with an estimated $890M worth of construction value
· The start of long-awaited projects including the 6/10 Connector rehab on I-95
· Another 186 bridge projects underway or to soon to begin
· The addition of 1300 construction sector jobs
· The award of a $20M grant for a $44M project on Route 37 which includes 15 bridges and numerous safety improvements
“People around the state are saying they already see the difference that RhodeWorks is making for our roads and bridges,” Alviti said. “We asked our state’s legislators, including the Speaker, to put their reputations on the line for this $4.5 billion plan within a 10-year period. Speaker Mattiello stepped up and brought together government leaders, union leaders, environmentalists, the business community and civic opinion makers. Thanks to this support, and to all of you in the construction industry, it’s working.”
To view the most up-to-date infrastructure plans and news, visit the RhodeWorks section of the RIDOT website at: www.dot.ri.gov/rhodeworks
