Bristol Town Administrator Steven Contente was among the local, state, and federal officials who gathered at Herreshoff Marina on Wednesday, August 16, 2023 where Gov. Dan McKee and R.I. Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti announced a $750,000 National Scenic Byway grant, which will be used to make upgrades along Hope Street in Bristol.
The six-mile stretch of Route 114, known as the Revolutionary Heritage Byway, will undergo improvements with planning and permitting to begin right away. The entire project will take “three or four years” to complete, Mr. Alviti said.
The project will extend from the Warren Town line to Thames Street and from Constitution Street to Ferry Road.
The grant funding is on top of $1 million that RIDOT has already received and started using, according to Alviti. He said the project will make the roadway “better and safer for everyone” in the coming years.
In addition to resurfacing the roadway and sidewalks, the work will include building a new scenic overlook, restoring the seawall, repairing and replacing the drainage systems, addressing ADA issues, adjusting the shoulders for better bicycle access, and greenery improvements.
Town Administrator Contente emphasized the importance “upkeep and improvements of public infrastructure” that supports a “quality of life to retain and attract industry and commerce”.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Seth Magaziner and Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos also attended the press conference.
The project will include:
- Restoration of the seawall between Burnside Street and Summer Street, including the construction of a new scenic overlook of Bristol Harbor
- New pavement surface
- New sidewalks and ADA accessibility improvements along both shoulders between Walley Street and Summer Street, including the extension of sidewalk in front of Walley Park
- Variable shoulder width adjustments to improve bicycle access
- Repair or replacement of drainage systems and basins
- Soil restoration and greenery improvements