Peter Alviti, Jr. (above) – director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation – will retire on February 27, with Robert Rocchio, RIDOT’s chief engineer for infrastructure, to serve as interim director.
[Above photo by RIDOT]
Rocchio is a more than 30-year RIDOT veteran who holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Rhode Island.
Governor Dan McKee (D) said in a statement that his administration will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent RIDOT director.
“As the Washington Bridge project moves from demolition into the rebuild phase, I am confident that Bob Rocchio will provide the steady leadership and engineering expertise we need – not only for this crucial project, but for the many infrastructure improvements that are underway across our state,” the governor noted. “We recognize Director Alviti’s many years of state service across two administrations and wish him well.”
Alviti originally became RIDOT’s director in February 2015 with a mandate from the Governor’s office to plan, fund, and implement a strategic framework for rebuilding Rhode Island’s infrastructure and to reorganize RIDOT to provide more cost-effective project delivery. Within eight months, he put forth a 10-year transportation plan entitled “RhodeWorks,” which the state legislature subsequently approved and then-Governor Gina Raimondo (D) signed into law.
During his 11-year tenure as RIDOT director, Alviti also brought several other key projects to completion, such as the I-95 Providence Viaduct Northbound and Tower Hill Road Bridge projects, while expanding the successful Roadside Responder program that began in 2023 and has aided more than 2,300 motorists to date.
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