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Rhode Island · Tunnel Worker · 5 counties
Tunnel Worker prevailing wage, Providence County group, Rhode Island (5 counties)
DLT sets the same tunnel worker rates, row for row, in 5 counties: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence and Washington. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.
$79.55an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$55.40 base wage + $24.15 fringe benefits · LABO0271-002
On Rhode Island public works in each of these 5 counties, a tunnel worker must be paid at least $79.55 an hour: a $55.40 base wage plus $24.15 in fringe benefits. DLT prints no total, so $79.55 is our sum of the two.
Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions; this rate, effective October 1, 2026. Rates are set at award, then adjusted every July 1 for the life of the contract (RIGL 37-13-8). Checked against dlt.ri.gov on October 25, 2026.
DLT lists 6 tunnel worker rates for each of these counties, from $66.60 to $79.55 an hour. See all of them.
- From 2026-11-17, at least $6.60 of the fringe must buy retirement or pension benefits (DLT's minimum retirement credit). It is part of the fringe, not added to it.
- Scope: HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
Base wage and fringe benefits: $55.40 + $24.15
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DLT prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $55.40 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $24.15 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DLT prints no total) | $79.55 |
When does this rate change?
- Rates are set at award and remain until modified, but every contractor must check with DLT before July 1 each year and adjust wages every July 1 for the contract's duration (RIGL 37-13-8; DLT). Mid-year SAM modifications reach an awarded contract at the next July 1.
- The main decision, RI20260001, has been modified four times in 2026, most recently October 1 (Mod 5). DLT's retirement minimums take effect November 17, 2026 (DLT).
Every tunnel worker rate in the Providence County group
As DLT lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 1:Mucking machine operator, tunnel laborer, brake person, track person, miner, grout person, lock tender, gauge tender, miner: motor person & all others in compressed airLABO0271-002$79.55
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 2: Change house attendant, powder watchperson, top person on ironLABO0271-002$77.08
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 1: Grout person - pumps, brake person, track person, form mover & stripper (wood & steel), shaft laborer, laborer topside, outside motorperson, miner, conveyor operator, miner welder, heading motorperson, erecting operator, mucking machine operator, nozzle person, rodperson, safety miner, shaft & tunnel, steel & rodperson, mole nipper, concrete worker, form erector (wood, steel and all accessories), cement finisher (this type of work only), top signal person, bottom person (when heading is 50' from shaft), burner, shield operator and TBM operatorLABO0271-002$70.15
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 2: Change house attendant, powder watchpersonLABO0271-002$69.15
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 3: Hazardous waste work within the "HOT" zoneLABO0271-002$66.60
- LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 3: Hazardous waste work within the "HOT" zoneLABO0271-002$66.60
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 1:Mucking machine operator, tunnel laborer, brake person, track person, miner, grout person, lock tender, gauge tender, miner: motor person & all others in compressed airLABO0271-002 | $55.40 | $24.15 | $79.55 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 2: Change house attendant, powder watchperson, top person on ironLABO0271-002 | $52.93 | $24.15 | $77.08 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 3: Hazardous waste work within the "HOT" zoneLABO0271-002 | $42.45 | $24.15 | $66.60 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 1: Grout person - pumps, brake person, track person, form mover & stripper (wood & steel), shaft laborer, laborer topside, outside motorperson, miner, conveyor operator, miner welder, heading motorperson, erecting operator, mucking machine operator, nozzle person, rodperson, safety miner, shaft & tunnel, steel & rodperson, mole nipper, concrete worker, form erector (wood, steel and all accessories), cement finisher (this type of work only), top signal person, bottom person (when heading is 50' from shaft), burner, shield operator and TBM operatorLABO0271-002 | $46.00 | $24.15 | $70.15 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 2: Change house attendant, powder watchpersonLABO0271-002 | $45.00 | $24.15 | $69.15 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): FREE AIR: GROUP 3: Hazardous waste work within the "HOT" zoneLABO0271-002 | $42.45 | $24.15 | $66.60 | Oct 1, 2026 |
How the Providence County group compares
The main tunnel worker rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Rhode Island
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Providence County groupbase $55.40$79.55
- Kent Countybase $55.40$79.55
- Bristol Countybase $55.40$79.55
- Washington Countybase $55.40$79.55
Which county is in which tunnel worker group
Every Rhode Island county with a tunnel worker rate. Counties DLT treats alike share one page; the rest have their own.
| Counties | Main classification | Base wage | Total rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County group, 5 localities: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington | LABORER (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION): COMPRESSED AIR: GROUP 1:Mucking machine operator, tunnel laborer, brake person, track person, miner, grout person, lock tender, gauge tender, miner: motor person & all others in compressed air | $55.40 | $79.55 |
1 group of counties with identical DLT rates, and 0 counties with rates of their own.
Rhode Island tunnel worker prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DLT on this rate
- DLT's prevailing wage page
- There is no separate apprentice rate. Registered apprentices get a percentage of the base, and the full fringe (DLT FAQ).
Every trade's rates, county by county: Bristol · Kent · Newport · Providence · Washington
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to the fringe your employer pays for you, and compare it with the total. Healthcare and retirement must be actually bought, not paid as cash (RIGL 37-13-7). DLT Prevailing Wage: (401) 462-8580, option 7.
Source
Department of Labor and Training (DLT), Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. For the row this page leads with:
- Bristol: RI20260001 Mod 5
- Kent: RI20260001 Mod 5
- Newport: RI20260001 Mod 5
- Providence: RI20260001 Mod 5
- Washington: RI20260001 Mod 5
We read every active Rhode Island Davis-Bacon decision from SAM.gov's API and DLT's retirement schedule, and check every number with a second read. Davis-Bacon prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download every Rhode Island rate as CSV · Report an error