Rep. John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Portsmouth, Tiverton) and Rep. Dennis M. Canario (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton) have called upon the Rhode Island Department of Transportation to remove a barrier that has been erected on Nanaquaket Road in Tiverton that blocks access to an inlet of Narragansett Bay.

“This is just shameful that RIDOT closed off a long-time parking area enjoyed by dozens of my constituents in order to satisfy a single abutter” explained Representative Edwards in a press release. “Curbing and ornamental landscaping were installed last fall, by both RIDOT & the abutter and I’ve been getting numerous complaints from constituents who used to access the water from that point. To date, RIDOT has not acted to correct the problem”

According to the press release, the spot in question is a strip of land just to the west of Nanaquaket Bridge, which spans the waterway and borders the districts of Representatives Edwards and Canario. Complaints about the barrier began in January, and the Department of Transportation has yet to resolve the problem, despite receiving a Notice of Violation from the Coastal Resources Management Council.

“Every Rhode Islander has a constitutional right to access the shoreline, and parking for these areas is rare if ever available. For the state to take away any of these spots is just unfathomable,” lamented Representative Canario in the release.

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