Road repairs to Miantonomi Hill and part of Boulevard are expected through the winter, weather permitting. The #MiddletownRI Town Council is scheduled to consider a change order Monday night, with money for the work already in the Fiscal 2026 budget.
MIANTONOMI, BOULEVARD FIXES PLANNED
MIDDLETOWN, RI (DECEMBER 10, 2025) – Lasting fixes to lower Miantonomi Avenue are going to cost more than initially anticipated and push back the project completion date.
When water was discovered pumping under the hillside roadbed as well as nearby Boulevard recently, local leaders said that increased the price tag for the repairs by about $554,000.
Funding for the project is available in the town’s existing Fiscal 2026 budget without adversely impacting other scheduled 2026 road work.
A change order approving emergency patching, binder work and the installation of new subdrains to take care of the unwanted water was expected to be considered by the Town Council Monday night at 6:30 in Town Hall.
“If we don’t do this work and just put down pavement, it will fail and no one wants that,” Public Works Director Robert Hanley said. “When these problems came to our attention, it takes time to put together the right plan with (project contractor) East Coast Construction, Crossman Engineering and Rhode Island Energy, which has pipes in the area. We want to do this once so we don’t have to do it again and again.”
Hanley said East Coast Construction can work through the winter on the project, weather permitting. He said the asphalt plants were open one day a week during the colder months and everything will be built around the availability of fresh pavement.
When work on Miantonomi and Boulevard from the intersection with Miantonomi and Nicholson Crescent was happening, Hanley said traffic detours would be in place. However, every homeowner in the area will have access to their property. Regular notifications will be made to those homeowners to keep them up to speed on the work schedule, he said.
Importantly, Hanley said the town followed its procedures for the project to the letter, including having inspectors on site and other measures.
But because Miantonomi hadn’t been stripped to its base in years, he said there was no way of knowing the extent of the problems underneath until water started bubbling from the road surface itself.
Town officials said the unique geography of the road set on a steeper hill contributed to the water runoff issue.
“What we’re seeing out there is very unusual,” Hanley said. “I’ve never seen it before here in Middletown and even our engineers — who do work across the state — can’t remember a situation like this. I’m confident the plan we’ve laid out will address this today and for years to come.”
The subdrains will collect water from under the road and channel it away from the area and down the hill.
Moving forward with all road paving projects, town officials said there will be a coring, boring and sampling plan in place as part of future bids and contracts. That way, the town, its contractors and engineers know exactly what they’re working with so issues can be avoided in the future.
East Coast Construction was awarded the original $1.98 million contract by the council in September 2024. At the time, town officials said there were no indications of the extent of the problems waiting under Miantonomi hill and part of Boulevard.
When problems emerged when water was seen leaking from the road itself about a year later, town officials said the hope was to wrap up all the repair work by the end of 2025.
Due to the complexity of the project and the number of parties involved in finding a solution, the work won’t meet that estimated timeline.
Based on the latest projections, East Coast Construction will have 32 work days to complete the subdrains and related construction. Because of the winter weather and limited availability of asphalt, town officials said it will be difficult for the Portsmouth-based firm to get everything done without interruptions to its normal construction schedule.
A binder coat of pavement was expected to be installed in the spring, with final paving anticipated next summer.
As for other road projects, paving for portions of Jepson Lane, Beacon Terrace and Mitchell’s Lane — as a bid alternate — were still anticipated in 2026.
“We apologize for the delays and genuinely appreciate everyone’s patience while we work to find a solution here,” Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said. “This project has been complicated by what was discovered under the road, but what we’re not going to do is put some pavement down and simply walk away only to have to go back a couple years later and do this work all over again. That doesn’t benefit anybody.”
“East Coast Construction has been great to work with and has been very accommodating,” Hanley added. “The original binder was installed correctly and their work has been excellent, as it always is. That’s not the problem here. Like everyone else is saying, it’s what was found under the road and the new boring samples we’re going to be doing will help address that moving forward. Lessons have definitely been learned here.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Fixes
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.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.com
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Fixes
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.
Media Contact
Matt Sheley
Public Affairs Officer
401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov