RIDOT adds high-paying jobs as lower-paid workers excluded from upgrades

WARWICK, R.I. — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s (RIDOT) Highway and Maintenance Division has undergone multiple significant expansions in its organizational structure in recent years, according to the division’s most recently revised organizational chart.

The chart shows the division now includes substantially more positions than in previous years. Since 2023, several higher-paying positions have been added, reflecting an increase in upper-level and supervisory roles. 

The reorganization also included department-wide upgrades that excluded many lower-paid employees, including sign installers, clerks, and superintendents. At the same time, several full-time equivalent positions were removed from those lower pay grades and converted into higher-level roles without going through a public hearing.

The wave of promotions has raised concerns as RIDOT’s budget has more than doubled over the past decade, surpassing $1 billion while the agency continues to expand higher-paying roles.

Questions have been raised about why John Igliozzi, the department’s chief of staff, and administrator for legal and administrative support systems will continue daily oversight of the highway maintenance division when the division is already being led by Acting Chief Engineer of Infrastructure John Preiss.

Below are the major position changes in the Highway and Maintenance Division since 2023:

• 2023: A State Highway Operations Engineer earning $146,898.96 was promoted to Deputy Chief Engineer and now earns $158,244.06 annually.
  
• 2024: A Managing Engineer earning $145,516.80 was promoted to Deputy Chief Engineer, now making $173,629.82.
  
• 2024: A Supervising Bridge Safety Inspector earning $83,112.90 was promoted to Chief of Highway Field Maintenance Operations, making $112,509.02.
  
• 2024: A Highway Field Operations Superintendent earning $92,236.82 was promoted to Chief of Highway Field Maintenance Operations, making $117,941.98.
  
• 2025: A Highway Maintenance Traffic Electrician earning $81,082.04 was promoted to Chief of Highway Maintenance Field Operations, making $103,198.94.
  
• 2025: A Highway Field Operations Supervisor earning $65,088.92 was promoted to Chief of Highway Field Maintenance Operations, making $99,559.98.
  
• 2026: A Deputy Chief Engineer which starts out at $139,713 was promoted to a State Highway Maintenance Engineer which starts at $152,065. However, due to this employee having a high number of years of working for the state, they currently make $185,658.20, so we are unsure of what they will make after the promotion. This employee has been promoted three times since 2023.
  
• 2026: A Fleet Maintenance Superintendent earning $91,093.86 was promoted to Administrator of Operations Management, which starts at $115,008.

• 2026: A Managing Engineer earning $128,404.90 was promoted to State Highway Maintenance Deputy Chief Engineer, a position starting at $139,713.

• 2026: A Highway Maintenance Field Operations Superintendent earning $95,220.32 was promoted to Chief of Highway Field Maintenance Operations, which begins at $103,293
  
  Since 2023 the division went from having two Chief of Highway Field Maintenance Operations positions to having 6. In 2026, two positions were created for an Administrator of Operations Management, which starts at $115,008. One of the positions remains vacant as of today.