Summer Internship

Rhode Island DOT News
www.dot.ri.gov/news

RIDOT Release 24: 09
February 27, 2009
Contact: Dana Alexander Nolfe 401-222-1362 x4450

RIDOT RECRUITING FOR SUMMER INTERNS

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is recruiting for summer interns interested in the field of engineering and transportation. College students with a good academic standing are eligible.

Selected students will be able to work alongside professionals in the fields of Audit; Computer Information Systems; Construction; Environmental Protection; Highway, Traffic and Bridge Design; Historic Preservation; Landscaping; Legal Services; Materials; Planning; and Public Affairs.

“RIDOT’s internship program is one that can open many doors,” said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. “A summer here can lead to a promising career in engineering, design, computer science or even public affairs.”

Positions start in mid-May 2009 and run through mid-September 2009. Salaries range from $9 - $13 per hour depending on experience and academic standing. Assignments are available in Providence and at Maintenance offices located throughout the State.

Applications must include a letter of interest detailing the applicant’s education and work experience, a statement of the applicant’s career plans, and an official copy of the applicant’s latest academic transcript. The deadline for applications is April 17, 2009.

Applications should be sent to:
Rhode Island Department of Transportation
Summer College Student Employment Program
Human Resources Service Center
Two Capitol Hill, Room 214
Providence, Rhode Island 02903-1124

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RIDOT and Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery & Reinvestment post Economic Stimulus Transportation Project Calendar online

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery and Reinvestment (OERR), has created a contract opportunities calendar on the RIDOT website, www.dot.ri.gov.  The calendar may also be viewed from a link on Governor’s OERR website at www.gov.ri.gov/recovery.    

This calendar, which will constantly be updated, will list all (economic stimulus funded and otherwise) bid opportunities, pre-bid conferences, and bid openings for RIDOT.  Economic stimulus projects, which have been certified by the Governor, will be denoted with an asterisk. RIDOT has approximately 50 projects on its stimulus list.

“With the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, we can now begin the process to invest in critical infrastructure projects and get people back to work,” said Governor Donald L. Carcieri.  “The Department of Transportation has identified more than 50 shovel ready projects across Rhode Island for immediate action.  The process is well under way, and this calendar will allow Rhode Islanders to track the progress of each project and add greater level of transparency to the process.”

A total of $137 million is on its way to RIDOT through President Obama’s national economic stimulus bill which was signed into law earlier this week.  Fifty percent of these funds must be obligated within 120 days.  This timeline starts 21 days after the bill’s signing making the deadline for this group of projects this July.

“RIDOT expects to have every dollar spent by the deadline and may even be entitled to more,” said Michael P. Lewis, RIDOT’s Director.  “This could happen if other states can’t allocate all of their funds.  Those unspent dollars will be redistributed to states ready to spend them and we will be in a position to spend more if we get more.”

RIDOT plans to advertise as many as eight to 10 projects a week.  The calendar will alert contractors what is coming up and what the deadlines are.  Users will also find descriptions of the projects along with detailed contract bidding information.

For a construction project to be on the stimulus list it must have all of its right-of-way completed, all of its permits in place, all of its planning, specifications and estimates done and be approved by Rhode Island’s Division of the Federal Highway Administration.

It is expected that all of Rhode Island’s transportation related economic stimulus funding will create 5,000 jobs of which 1,500 will be direct and 3,500 will be indirect.

Contact:

Dana Alexander Nolfe, RIDOT, 401-222-1362 x4450

Amy Kempe, Governor’s Office, 401-222-8290

 

RIDOT to end dot.state.ri.us email address

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will no longer use its old email addresses, @dot.state.ri.us, beginning Monday, February 23. The email address domain was replaced with @dot.ri.gov over two years ago.

RIDOT will block delivery to the old addresses due to increasing SPAM threats to the RIDOT email exchange server. As of February 23, 2009, any email sent to an email address @dot.state.ri.us will be blocked. A failure delivery notice will be sent back to the sender.

Contact: Frances Segerson 401-222-1362 Ext. 4012

RIDOT Travel Advisories February 14 through 20

All RIDOT construction and maintenance activities are conducted as weather allows

Interstate Highways

Continuing restriction

Pawtucket: I-95 between Exits 27 (George St.) and 28 (School St.) posted for use only by vehicles of less than 18 tons. Detours required for heavier vehicles.

Metropolitan Providence

Continuing restriction

E. Providence: No. Broadway bridges at Roger Williams Ave. (over Ten Mile River), bridges posted at 7 tons. Heavier vehicles are required to use detour.
Providence/E. Providence: Henderson Bridge (Red Bridge) EB and WB, one lane open in each direction; EB exit to Massasoit St. SB closed. Detour in place.
Providence: Exchange St., between Stillman St. and Park Row (at the Amtrak Station) closed to through traffic weekdays 6 am to 6 am until mid-August, for building construction.

West Bay

No lane closures are scheduled.

South County

No lane closures are scheduled.

Northern RI and Blackstone Valley

Weekday restriction

No. Smithfield: Rte. 146 NB between the School St. exit and the bridge over Main St., right lane closed Tuesday – Friday, 7 am to 3 pm.

Continuing restrictions

Lincoln: Wilbur Ave., one lane of alternating traffic on the bridge over Rte. 146 due to damaged bridge beams.

No. Smithfield: School St. bridge over Rte. 146 closed to traffic, with a detour in place.

No. Smithfield: Rte. 146 SB under Great Rd., one lane closed for bridge rehabilitation.

East Bay

Weekday restriction

Portsmouth/Tiverton: Rte. 24 NB between Exits 3 (Hummocks Ave.) and 4 (Central Ave.) right lane closed Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm, for drainage work.

Continuing restriction

Portsmouth-Tiverton: Sakonnet Bridge (Rte. 24) posted for use by vehicles under 18 tons. Heavier vehicles must use alternate routes. The bridge is safe for passenger vehicles.

RIDOT DIRECTOR TO GO TO DC TO MEET WITH WHITE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STAFF TOMORROW

Rhode Island Department of Transportation Director Michael P. Lewis will be going to Washington, DC tomorrow, Wednesday, February 11, 2009 to meet with White House leadership for a transportation forum. Director Lewis will be accompanied by RIDOT’s Associate Chief Engineer for Planning and Finance Robert A. Shawver. All 50 states have been invited.

The tentative agenda includes remarks by US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood regarding the Economic Recovery Act and its relationship with national transportation infrastructure issues, and remarks by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. An open discussion will follow between attendees, Secretary LaHood, and US DOT officials.

“At this meeting I look forward to sharing Rhode Island’s plan for the economic stimulus money,” said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis. “We stand ready to put people to work.”

Close to two hours of time has been set aside for this meeting which will be held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.