Bridging Bytes and Bridges: How Broadband Can Reinvent Rhode Island’s Infrastructure

Rhode Island’s infrastructure is at a breaking point. The Washington Bridge in Providence—one of the state’s busiest connectors, carrying more than 90,000 vehicles daily—has become a symbol of what happens when decades of deferred maintenance collide with modern demands. Each lane closure ripples across the East Bay, snarling traffic on I-195, choking local businesses in East Providence, and testing the patience of commuters from Bristol to Barrington. For shops, manufacturers, and service companies along Warren Avenue and the Waterfront District, delays and detours mean fewer customers, slower deliveries, and rising costs.

But the solution to Rhode Island’s infrastructure crisis doesn’t lie in pouring more concrete. It lies in connecting industries.

By pairing innovations from broadband technology with transportation systems, Rhode Island can build smarter, safer, and more resilient infrastructure. Research from the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) shows that fiber-optic broadband—long associated with high-speed internet—can also transform how we monitor and manage roads and bridges. Their 2025 report, Broadening Our View on Broadband, argues that fiber’s capabilities extend far beyond connectivity; it’s becoming the backbone of modern infrastructure.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives Rhode Island’s transportation network a C-minus, reflecting chronic underinvestment. The state has 779 bridges, and roughly one in five is considered structurally deficient. The Washington Bridge isn’t an isolated problem—it’s part of a system struggling to keep pace with use, weather, and age. Congestion along I-95, Route 295, and Route 146 wastes thousands of hours each year and costs millions in lost productivity and fuel. Traditional fixes like widening lanes or repaving are expensive and temporary. It’s time to think differently.

That’s where fiber comes in. A technology called Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) can turn fiber cables into continuous sensors by measuring light scatter along the strands. Engineers can detect vibration, temperature changes, or strain in real time. Imagine fiber embedded in the Washington Bridge, instantly detecting stress before cracks form, or predicting rush-hour backups near the I-95/I-195 interchange to optimize signal timing. DFOS can even alert crews when construction threatens buried utilities, preventing costly damage and delays.

Fiber’s reliability is another advantage. Unlike wireless systems, it’s immune to interference and outages, making it ideal for connected-vehicle ecosystems. With fiber-backed 5G, Rhode Island could pilot autonomous shuttles between downtown Providence and the Jewelry District, upgrade RIPTA routes with live-data tracking, or deploy traffic lights that adjust automatically to real-time conditions. Since 94 percent of crashes stem from human error, connected systems could save lives while easing congestion.

The benefits would extend directly to East Providence businesses. With fiber running alongside rebuilt transportation corridors, manufacturers could streamline logistics, local shops could expand digital services, and tech-driven startups could find affordable, high-speed infrastructure just minutes from Providence. Broadband access would make East Providence more competitive for investment while easing the daily disruptions caused by the bridge crisis.

The potential economic impact is enormous. A Brattle Group study cited by Aii estimates $3.24 trillion in national economic value from full fiber deployment—through job creation, housing growth, and productivity. Integrating broadband expansion with road reconstruction could multiply these returns for Rhode Island, from the Port of Providence to Quonset Point—and for business corridors like East Providence, where logistics, manufacturing, and digital commerce intersect.

Fiber technology could also tie into Rhode Island’s clean-energy transition. Aii’s Hydrogen Highway report outlines how hydrogen-powered vehicles could use smart, fiber-enabled infrastructure to monitor fuel pipelines and reduce emissions. DFOS-equipped pipelines could detect leaks instantly, linking energy, data, and transportation systems to cut pollution along corridors like Route 146, 95 and 195.

Critics argue that digitizing infrastructure creates cyber risks, but fiber’s point-to-point design offers strong defense against intrusion. And as Aii notes, sustainability measures and carbon-offset programs can reduce the footprint of fiber construction, aligning perfectly with Rhode Island’s Act on Climate goals.

The Washington Bridge crisis should be a turning point—not just for how we fix what’s broken, but for how we build what’s next. Rhode Island’s policymakers should streamline permitting, incentivize fiber co-deployment on every major road project, and pilot DFOS monitoring on key assets like the Washington Bridge and the Claiborne Pell Bridge.

Innovation thrives where industries meet. Rhode Island’s next great infrastructure project won’t just be built with steel and concrete—it will be wired with light. By connecting our roads and our data, we can build a safer, smarter, and more resilient Ocean State.

— Mya E. DeAngelis is a Construction & Project Management student at Wentworth Institute of Technology, Class of 2029