New RIDOT Plan for East Side May Face Issues Tied to Potential Flooding

New RIDOT Plan for East Side May Face Issues Tied to Potential Flooding

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation's plan for changing the traffic pattern in Providence may be all wet -- literally -- over the next few decades.

Further, the new plan raises questions if RIDOT examines issues of coastal sea rise and flooding scenarios in its planning.

According to data from both the federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, and the Rhode Island Sea Grant and the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Resources Center, the Gano Street area in question -- where RIDOT wants to demolish the existing off-ramp and construct a new on-ramp -- could be underwater based on a range of known predictive scenarios in the next 30 years.

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“We need to start planning for these higher water levels in the future, and acknowledge that if we get a coastal storm on top of a 'moon tide,' the inland reach of floodwater could be greater than we have mapped in the past,” Teresa Crean said during an appearance on GoLocal LIVE.

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Dr. Benjamin Strauss, CEO and chief scientist of Climate Central, says, "In many states, building on land projected by 2050 to face chronic flood risks has outpaced development in safer places. Failure to control climate pollution will lead to faster-rising seas and bigger coastal risk zones, but building a cleaner-running economy can still reduce these consequences."

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RIDOT documents fail to reference coastal sea rise.

According to RIDOT, it has completed a high-level evaluation of the proposed project and project scope in efforts to determine which environmental documentation is required to effectively and accurately evaluate the environmental impact of this project’s construction and rehabilitation. Following the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), RIDOT’s review has confirmed that an Environmental Assessment (EA) is appropriate and necessary.

The Risk to Homes and Infrastructure

A study released this week finds that “as America's coastal communities continue to build homes in flood-risk zones, a new analysis by Climate Central and Zillow® shows that nearly 20,000 homes built in the past decade are at significant risk of chronic coastal flooding by 2050.”

In addition, the research release by Climate Central states, “As sea levels rise, the intermittent floods that coastal communities now experience once a decade on average are projected to reach farther inland than they do today. Those floods can damage and devalue homes, degrade infrastructure, wash out beaches, and interrupt transportation systems and other aspects of daily life. They also put homeowners, renters and investors in danger of steep personal and financial losses.”

"This research suggests that the impact of climate change on the lives and pocketbooks of homeowners is closer than you think. For home buyers over the next few years, the impact of climate change will be felt within the span of their 30-year mortgage," said Skylar Olsen, Zillow's director of economic research and outreach. "Without intervention, hundreds of thousands of coastal homes will experience regular flooding and the damage will cost billions. Given that a home is most people's largest and longest-living asset, it takes only one major flood to wipe out a chunk of that long-growing equity.  Rebuilding is expensive, so it's doubly tragic that we continue to build brand new units in areas likely to flood."

Environmental Permits and Reviews

According to RIDOT's 34-page plan, it "has completed a high-level evaluation of the proposed project and project scope in efforts to determine which environmental documentation is required to effectively and accurately evaluate the environmental impact of this project’s construction and rehabilitation."

Following the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), RIDOT’s review "has confirmed that an Environmental Assessment (EA) is appropriate and necessary."

In addition, the study states:

NEPA

Traffic flows from the Taunton Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway on-ramps onto the Washington Bridge will be interrupted throughout the duration of this project. Additionally, the closing of the Gano Street Off-Ramp, the relocation of the Gano Street On-ramp, and the opening of the new Waterfront Drive Off-Ramp will cause a substantial disruption in original traffic patterns and pose new environmental impacts to the bridge surroundings.

In alignment with the NEPA EA process, RIDOT must receive a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from the FHWA to continue on to construction. RIDOT is currently in the early phases of EA development.

Reviews, Approvals, and Permits by Other Agencies

Rhode Island’s Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) requires a Maintenance Assent. This permit is required for any new construction project regardless of project scope. In addition, project notifications must also be sent to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE). USCG and ACOE permit and approval is required prior to start of construction.