NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — When state leaders gather to discuss roadwork in Rhode Island, it’s typically about highways, main roads, and heavily traveled bridges.

But the focus of a news conference on Monday was the smaller streets in your neighborhood and the sidewalks that line them.

Gov. Dan McKee announced the details of a proposal to use $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help cities and towns fix up their roads. The grant program is included in his FY 2024 budget which still needs to win approval from the General Assembly.

McKee said the goal is to aid municipalities that often struggle to set aside enough money in their budgets to properly maintain their roads, bridges and sidewalks.

“This has to be a team effort to get results,” McKee said, “and there’s no one that can get the work done faster and more efficiently than municipal leaders.”

WATCH: North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi on the proposal (story continues below)

“The roads right in front of most of the houses of our citizens here is what this program is all about,” R.I. Department of Transportation Director Peter Alviti added. “While this is the first time the state has offered a program like this for cities and towns, RIDOT has successfully worked with cities and towns in the past.”

Here’s how it would work: cities and towns would put up two-thirds of the cost of these projects and the state would cover the remaining third. McKee said $15 million would be split evenly among each municipality – just under $385,000 each – while $5 million would be distributed proportionally based on road mileage.

Officials pointed out that roughly 5,000 miles of Rhode Island’s roads (about 80%) are locally maintained, and nearly half of those are considered to be in poor condition.

WATCH: Full news conference (story continues below)

The projects must be completed by 2026. To hold city and town leaders accountable, they must submit a progress report quarterly.

House Speaker Joe Shekarchi told 12 News the House Finance Committee is conducting a “thorough analysis” of McKee’s proposed budget.

“I am keeping an open mind and will review the testimony and discuss this grant proposal with my colleagues during the course of this transparent process,” Shekarchi said.