Highway Division

Snow Plow Hotline: 401-435-7751

Please call hotline for any snow event day, night, or weekend.

The Highway Division has a staff of thirty-two, composed of the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, Account Clerk, Lead workers, Heavy Equipment Operators, Truck Drivers, and Laborers. The Division is responsible for storm drains, road resurfacing, road repairs, street sweeping, catch basin cleaning, mosquito abatement program, maintaining former landfill site and operating compost site. The Division salts, sands and plows the 160 miles of City streets in the winter season. The Division participates in cleanups such as debris collected on City's water front and debris caused by various storms. The Division maintains the traffic signals, and installs signs such as stop signs, speed limit signs, and warning signs. The street pavement markings are also maintained by the Highway Division.

Street Sweeping

In accordance with the City’s Stormwater Management Plan, all streets and municipal parking lots are swept at least once per year, and main streets twice per year. The main roads in the City are swept at the beginning of the program and again at the end. In order to assist property owners who wish to sweep sand which has accumulated on their abutting sidewalks into the roadway, the 2018 sweeping schedule is available in the link below. The City requests the residents assistance in removing parked cars from the road on the day scheduled for sweeping so the program is successful. Prior to sweeping the City will place temporary signs to notify residents of area being swept.

2018 Street Sweeping Schedule

Please call the Highway Division at (401) 435-7500 x40040 to report any of the following:

Potholes or street repairs
Snowplow lawn damage (or other)
Signs or Signals, call to report malfunctioning or damaged traffic signals or damaged street and traffic signs.

Stormwater Pollution Prevention

The stormwater and melted snow that runs off of the roadway in your neighborhood is eventually discharged to nearby water bodies. If certain contaminants come in contact with stormwater runoff from your neighborhood, these resource areas may become polluted. Your individual actions can help protect these areas.

What you can do to protect Water Resources

Do not place anything in the storm drain. Only stormwater should enter the catch basins. (the grates and inlets you see on the streets)
Eliminate or minimize fertilizer use.
If you use fertilizer, choose slow release types with little or no nitrogen.
Avoid leaf litter. Collect leaves for composting or proper disposal.
Direct your rooftop runoff over vegetation or into a dry well to promote infiltration.
Do not allow pet waste to collect on streets/sidewalks or enter the storm drains.
Pick up all pet waste and either compost, bury, or dispose with sanitary waste.
Use a car wash or wash cars so runoff goes on to the lawn, not the street, and minimize soap.
Do not clean driveways by hosing dirt into the street. Collect sweepings for disposal.
Keep you neighborhood litter free
Eliminate the use of pesticides.
Limit the use of sand and salt on roadways and remove sand promptly when weather permits.
Don’t feed ducks or geese.