R.I. Gen. Laws § 24-10-2: Jurisdiction over freeways.

The director of transportation shall have full power and authority to lay out, establish, acquire, open, construct, improve, maintain, discontinue, and regulate the use of freeways within this state in the same manner or manners in which the director may now lay out, establish, acquire, open, construct, improve, maintain, discontinue, and regulate the use of highways within this state. The director shall also have any and all other additional authority and power relative to such freeways as he or she now possesses relative to highways, including the authority and power to acquire or accept title to the lands or rights-of-way needed for freeways.