Unexpected findings under Miantonomi Avenue have delayed completion of that road project while #MiddletownRI works on a solution, with the finish date potentially by the end of the year.
MIANTONOMI ROAD WORK DELAYS
MIDDLETOWN, RI (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) – Some construction and infrastructure projects move smoothly from start to end.
Local leaders readily acknowledge work on Miantonomi Avenue hasn’t been among them.
At a recent meeting, town officials said to everyone’s surprise when a portion of the road was opened up, there was water flowing freely under the base, something that wasn’t supposed to be happening.
Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said the town was working hard to get the road where it was supposed to be and the project wrapped up right.
“First off, we want to apologize to everyone who’s been impacted by this,” Brown said. “Never in our wildest dreams did we think we’d find what we found. It was a complete shock and that’s why this is taking longer than expected.”
Every year, the town works hard to upgrade the roads it has, addressing the worst local streets identified in the community’s Road Condition Index survey. Visit https://mdl.town/Red-Roads to check out the latest report.
The problem is the approximately $1 million set aside annually doesn’t go nearly as far as it used to, getting about one mile of road done each year.
That means the town isn’t able to do as many repairs and upgrades as it would like to or are needed, without an outside injection of funding like bonds.
The town hasn’t proposed a road bond since 2016, which was approved by an 85 percent margin by voters. Work to Turner Road, William Drive and Underwood Lane were completed as part of that bond cycle.
Town officials said there’s been no discussion by the council to date about bringing another road bond to voters.
As for Miantonomi Avenue, Brown said the town was taking the appropriate steps to make sure it’s passable, with permanent fixes hopefully completed before the end of the year.
Brown said drains would be installed under the roadway to allow the water that’s there to get out from underneath the road and disperse without damaging the road.
“The road continues to be rough,” Brown said. “What was identified is basically we have water pumping from beneath the road underneath the pavement, which has caused it to buckle. We have to let it settle, and we’ve done some patchwork and have a design for the drains.”
Town Engineer John Mello Jr. said the proposed drains will be designed to intercept and lower the unexpected high groundwater conditions that were experienced last winter to prevent the failure of the road base and buckling of the paved surface.
Mello said the groundwater levels are typically highest in the winter and spring of each year as well as during heavy rain events at any time of year.
Brown said the entire project was under review by Rhode Island Energy because the utility has a number of gas lines in the area.
“The gas company is reviewing all this to make sure that nothing compromises that system,” Brown said. “We anticipate getting that approval here shortly.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Miantonomi
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
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Matt Sheley
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