This project consists of the development of a five mile long bicycle/pedestrian facility for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT). PRIME prepared the Feasibility Study Report for the proposed facility which incorporated data collecti

on, environmental and cultural concerns, field reviews, and input from the public as well as state and local officials. Based on the Feasibility Study, the project was separated into six sections for final design and construction.

The first section, located in Slater Memorial Park, was 3,600 feet long and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, requiring extensive coordination with the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission. Since this section of the project was located within the riverbank wetland as well as the 100- year floodplain for the Ten Mile River, a significant amount of coordination was required with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for environmental permitting.

The second part of the project was a 1.5-mile section located immediately to the south of the Slater Memorial Park segment. This section of the facility generally parallels the west bank of the Ten Mile River and the western shore of Central Pond. Large portions of this section of the path were also located within regulated wetland areas which required significant coordination for environmental permitting. The southern end of this portion of the path is located at the Kimberly Ann Rock Memorial Athletic Complex in East Providence for which a 110-space parking lot was developed as part

of the project. The design of this segment of the bike path also necessitated the preparation of Right-of-Way Documents.

In order to avoid impacting biological wetlands at one location, the path was located on property owned by the Providence and Worcester Railroad. At another location adjacent to the Ten Mile River, an existing railroad embankment intersected the location of the proposed path. A tunnel through the embankment was proposed which also required the preparation of Right-of-Way documents. The proposed tunnel was constructed under an active railroad line and the design required extensive coordination with the Providence and Worcester Railroad. Currently PRIME is proceeding with the design on the northernmost section of the project. This portion of the path is located in Pawtucket and is slightly less than one mile in length. This section also parallels the Ten Mile River and will connect the northern end of the Slater Memorial Park section with the Doreen Ann Tomlinson Sports Complex. The project is currently at the environmental permitting stage. Once this stage is constructed the public will have access to 2.5-mile long paved path through a wooded area which abuts a heavily urbanized area.

In 2004, this project received an Honorable Mention in Category 6 – Highway Related Projects from the Federal Highway Administration’s Biennial Excellence in Highway Design Competition.

Services:

• Feasibility Study
• Environmental/Cultural Concerns
• Environmental Permitting
• Historic Preservation
• Right-of-Way Documentation
• Tunnels/Railroad Design

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