Newport officials press state for action on Admiral Kalfas Boulevard safety

Newport officials at a legislative workshop urged state lawmakers to speed repairs and safety work on state roads that run through the city, singling out Admiral Kalfas Boulevard as an immediate hazard.

The mayor opened the session by describing how recent projects have left “some more issues rather than solving some of them,” and asked legislators what they could do to accelerate DOT responses. A council member described “near misses” at the Bowens Wharf crosswalk and said the corridor is “incredibly dangerous.” The council asked state staff to convene a meeting with DOT and to publish a short, prioritized list of projects with dates so local and state officials can coordinate.

State legislators said they can help but emphasized the need for concrete, prioritized requests. One legislator suggested the city prepare a short list with who needs to act and when; another promised to call DOT and push for a specific meeting date. A councilor proposed two practical options for the Bowens Wharf crosswalk — physical crossing controls or stricter enforcement of existing “no parking/no standing” rules — and offered to help convene waterfront businesses on enforcement. The mayor said further advocacy at Providence hearings and steady presence at the State House often yields results.

The workshop produced a commitment to follow up: legislators asked the city manager to send prioritized project items and asked lobbyist staff to press DOT for a meeting and a timeline. The session did not produce a vote or binding timeline, and officials said DOT response times and engineering constraints will shape next steps.