The RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) announced a major initiative to repair potholes caused by a harsh winter. A new Pothole Service Requests Dashboard site on the web – https://www.dot.ri.gov/travel/potholes.php – allows the public to report locations needing repair, and monitor progress. It includes overall counts and a map that can zoom down to individual reports, showing completed repairs in green and outstanding reports in red, with updates every three hours. Reports can also be made by phone by dialing 5-1-1, answered by live operators 24 x 7.
(Source: RI DOT https://www.dot.ri.gov/travel/potholes.php )
Motif previously explained the path for drivers to apply for reimbursement for pothole damage (“Pothole Damage Claims in RI: Quicksand of Bureaucracy”, Feb 2, 2022), which can get complicated because some roads are maintained by the state and others by municipalities. The new pothole reporting system only applies to state-maintained roads, but the web page contains links to local public works departments. RI DOT has a web page – https://dot.ri.gov/about/maproom/State_Maintained_Roads.php – for checking whether any particular location is the responsibility of the state or not.
RIDOT is rolling out a new “pothole killer” robot that is attached to the front of a truck to help automate repairs. They posted a short video on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/reel/1884833748836307 – of the machine in action.
(Source: RI DOT)
“We are pleased to provide these tools for the public to make it easier for them to let us know about potholes they see on our roads so we can get them fixed right away,” RIDOT Interim Director Bob Rocchio said. “In the meantime, all our maintenance districts have been proactively patrolling the roads to identify and fill potholes.”
“After one of the harshest winters Rhode Island has ever seen, our RIDOT crews are out in full force filling potholes and repairing roads,” said Governor Daniel McKee. “These new tools will streamline the process, making it easier and quicker for Rhode Islanders to report potholes on state roads. It’s simple: see it, report it, and we’ll handle the rest.”