NEW: Rhode Island Wins $10 Million TIGER Grant for Apponaug
Thursday, September 05, 2013
The Apponaug Circulator Project aims to reduce traffic congestion at the Apponaug Four Corners Intersection.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is scheduled to begin construction on the project next spring.
Providing Some Much-Needed Relief
Warwick’s Apponaug Business District has suffered from high traffic congestion in large part due to the outdated one-way circulator running through the district, which has proven insufficient to handle the flow of traffic and stifled economic development in the area. The $10 million federal TIGER grant will be used to construct a new two-way bypass system around the heart of the district. The new system will greatly increase efficiency and safety in the area and will help boost development efforts in the district near Warwick City Hall between Apponaug Four Corners and Williams Corner.
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“This is great news for Rhode Island. This is a smart investment that will help create jobs, improve the efficiency of traffic, and increase safety for motorists and pedestrians. Through this project, RIDOT will also be able to restore habitat, reduce the frequency of flooding, improve air quality and prevent storm water runoff that damages the nearby Greenwich Bay,” said Gov. Lincoln Chafee. “This project will also help the City of Warwick move forward with key economic revitalization efforts.”
“I was proud to support RIDOT’s application for these TIGER funds, which will create badly needed construction jobs and help spur Warwick’s ongoing revitalization efforts,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. “This funding will help improve traffic, open up Apponaug to pedestrians and bicyclists, and ultimately make the area an attractive location for new economic development.”
Cost of the Project
Overall, the project is estimated to cost approximately $33.5 million, with $10 million coming from the federal TIGER grant, $11.4 million from the federal National Highway Performance Program, $5.4 million in federally-directed appropriations that then-Senator Chafee secured, and $6.7 million in state matching funds.
RIDOT announced that bidding on the project is scheduled to begin this fall with construction starting as early as spring of 2014.
Recent TIGER Grants in RI
This latest federal grant brings Rhode Island’s total TIGER grant funding to $52.8 million, including a recent $10 million grant to help replace the Providence Viaduct, as well as $10.5 million to purchase new harbor cranes at the Port of Providence and $22.3 million for infrastructure upgrades at the Quonset Business Park, including road, pier, and freight improvements which will increase port capacity at the Port of Davisville.
TIGER’s Impact on the Rest of New England
Aside from Rhode Island, the rest of New England will also be benefiting from today’s DOT’s TIGER grant announcement. Connecticut has been awarded $10 million for the expansion of State Street Station in New Haven, while Massachusetts is set to receive $15.5 million to fund the Connect Historic Boston project. The DOT also granted $6 million Maine to fund the Eastport Breakwater Replacement, and nearly $9 million to Vermont for Western Corridor Rail Rehabilitation. New Hampshire will also be receiving $1.4 million for Northcoast Rail Corridor Improvements.
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