Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Rhode Island General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-29. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
H8148 2026 -- H 8148 ======== LC003354 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY Introduced By: Representatives Solomon, and Casey Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: House Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 24-12 of the General Laws entitled Rhode Island Turnpike and 2 Bridge Authority is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 3 24-12-60. Safety barrier on bridges. 4 (a) The Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority (RITBA) is hereby directed to design 5 a safety barrier and/or safety netting on the Mount Hope Bridge, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, the 6 Staff Sergeant Christopher Potts Sakonnet River Bridge, and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge 7 (the “bridges”). The process shall be implemented as follows: 8 (1) RITBA shall submit the design of the safety barrier and/or safety netting for the bridges 9 to the house finance committee and the senate finance committee on or before January 1, 2027. 10 (2) RITBA shall issue a request for proposals for the safety barrier and/or safety netting on 11 or before April 30, 2027. 12 (3) Proposals shall be reviewed and accepted by RITBA, and construction and installation 13 of the safety barrier and/or safety netting shall commence on the bridges, no later than August 1, 14 2027. 15 (b) Any newly constructed bridges within the state with a deck height of over one hundred 16 feet (100′) shall be required to have safety barriers or safety netting. 1 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003354 ======== LC003354 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY *** 1 This act would direct the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority (RITBA) to design a 2 safety barrier or netting system on the Mount Hope Bridge, the Claiborne Pell Bridge, the Staff 3 Sergeant Christopher Potts Sakonnet River Bridge, and the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge. The act 4 would include several deadlines to ensure construction commences no later than August 1, 2027. 5 Any newly constructed bridges with a deck height of over one hundred feet (100′) would be 6 required to have safety barriers or safety netting. 7 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003354 ======== LC003354 - Page 3 of 3
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