East Bay Bike Path
Facing south near the path's southern terminus in Bristol
East Bay Bike Path
Length14.5 miles (23.3 km)
LocationProvidence County and Bristol County, Rhode Island
Established1992
DesignationEast Coast Greenway
TrailheadsIndia Point Park
Bristol, Rhode Island
UseHiking, Walking, Cycling
SightsNarragansett Bay
SurfaceAsphalt
WebsiteEast Bay Bike Path
Trail map

 India Point Park
Providence
E. Providence
Seekonk River
 East Providence
 1st St.
Veterans Memorial Pkwy.
Watchemoket Cove
 Providence River
Bullocks Point Ave.
 Crescent View Ave.
 Bullock Cove
E. Providence
Barrington
Narragansett Ave.
 Haines Park
 Bay Spring Ave.
 Washington Rd.
 Rhode Island Country Club
 Middle Hwy.
 Brickyard Pond
 Barrington
 County Rd.
 Barrington River
Barrington
Warren
Warren River
 Warren
 Main St.
Warren
Bristol
Narragansett Bay
Colt State Park
 Bristol Harbor
 Bristol
 Independence Park
 ferry/water interchange
ferries to Newport
& Prudence Island

The East Bay Bike Path is a 14.5-mile (23.3 km) paved rail trail in Rhode Island. The path begins in Providence and India Point Park, crosses the Seekonk River via the George Redman Linear Park (opened September 2015[1]) and Washington Bridge and continues southeast to Bristol along the shoreline of Narragansett Bay. The path passes through the city of East Providence, the hamlet of Riverside, and the towns of Barrington and Warren. It is part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile system of trails connecting the Canada–US border in Maine to Key West. and provides access to Haines State Park, Brickyard Pond (Barrington), and Colt State Park. It is used annually by 1.1 million people.

History

The former Riverside train station stands next to the East Bay Bicycle Path

The East Bay Bike Path was originally part of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad which opened in 1855 to take trains from Providence to Bristol, Rhode Island. The line changed hands several times through the years, eventually falling under the ownership of the New York, New Haven & Hartford railroad. In 1900 the line was electrified and adopted a rapid-transit model of service until 1934. All passenger service was discontinued in 1937.[2]

In 1970, Penn Central requested ICC permission to abandon the line from Providence to Bristol. The Crook Point Bascule Bridge and East Side Tunnel were abandoned by Conrail in 1976; the line was now only accessible via the East Providence Branch and the East Junction Branch. The rest of the branch was officially abandoned by the Providence and Worcester in 1976 due to low freight demand.[3] In 1981, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation briefly considered restoring passenger service to the PW&B right-of-way as a state-subsidized commuter rail line; this proposed service was precluded following the realignment of the Northeast Corridor later in the 1980s.[4] Despite having been out of service by trains for 45+ years, tracks still remain along many parts of the old route as the trail in some places was constructed beside the right-of-way, rather than on top.[2]

The plan for Rhode Island's first major bike path was approved in April 1983 by Governor Edward DiPrete. It was built between 1987 and 1992,[5] following the abandoned rail bed of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad. The property was acquired and constructed in four phases:

  1. Riverside Square to Barrington County Road (4.17 miles or 6.71 kilometres)
  2. County Road, Barrington to Franklin Street, Warren (2.38 miles or 3.83 kilometres)
  3. Franklin Street, Warren to Independence Park, Bristol (3.87 miles or 6.23 kilometres)
  4. Riverside Square to India Point Park, Providence (3.98 miles or 6.41 kilometres)

The completed path was dedicated on May 31, 1992 by Governor Bruce Sundlun. An 8.5 mile on-road bike lane was completed in 2011, linking the East Bay Bike Path with the south tip of the Blackstone River Bikeway, a 48-mile (77 km) trail that will link Providence with Worcester, Massachusetts. Rhode Island's next project will be connecting the East Bay Bike Path with the Washington Secondary Rail Trail.

Repairs and upgrade

Tree roots, erosion, and weather necessitated repairs to the asphalt in 2002, 2007, and 2009.[6] Repairs in mid-2016 targeted the most hazardous areas of the path.[6] Pavement was repaired, destructive tree roots removed, eroded areas reinforced, and new planks were installed on the Barrington bridges.[6]

A section of the bike path was renovated and rebuilt along the Washington Bridge between 2012 and 2015.[7] The park was christened the George Redman Linear Park, opened in September 2015 at a total cost of $21.8 million.[1] It consists of an 11-foot wide bicycle lane, a separated footpath paved with stamped concrete, and several seating areas[1] and is completely separated from I-195 automobile traffic. It was named in honor of East Providence cyclist George Redman.[8][9] A plaque honoring Redman can be seen on the west end of the park.

The advanced deterioration of structural elements of the 1900 railroad trestles carrying the Bike Path over the Barrington and Palmer Rivers necessitated their closure in November 2019.[10] The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) had allocated $10 million for their replacement. As of Spring 2021, the estimated costs rose to as much as $25 million. RIDOT in 2021 invested $2 million to build a temporary continuous detour using boardwalks on the north side of the Route 114 vehicular bridges across the rivers until a permanent solution could be found. RIDOT in late 2021 also issued a request for proposals (RFP) design-build procurement for replacing the bridges.[11] In 2022, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse provided a total of $14 million ($5 million[12] in March and another $9 million[13] in August) in additional funding toward the project. RIDOT hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the $24 million design-build project on September 26, 2022 to replace both bridges using an approach that limits shoreline impacts and does not affect nearby utilities. The project is scheduled to be done by the end of 2025.[14]

Route

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kuffner, Alex (September 21, 2015). "$21.8-million George Redman Linear Park is dedicated to pioneer of R.I. bike paths". The Providence Journal. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ "The Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad - Abandoned Rails". www.abandonedrails.com. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  3. ↑ Providence Railroad and Highway Improvements, Northeast Corridor Improvement Project: Environmental Impact Statement. United States: n.p., 1981. pg. 40
  4. ↑ "East Bay Bike Path". Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
  5. 1 2 3 Salit, Richard (July 4, 2016). "RIDOT to smooth brain-rattling, spine jarring stretches of East Bay Bike Path". The Providence Journal. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ "RIDOT to begin Washington Bridge linear park project". RI.GOV. State of Rhode Island. July 5, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Legendary Local Cyclist Inspires Washington Bridge Replacement : CEG".
  8. ↑ "Washington Bridge Bikeway & Linear Park". Archived from the original on June 3, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  9. ↑ RI.gov. "RIGOV". www.ri.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  10. ↑ "State of Rhode Island: Division of Purchases". purchasing.ri.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Reed Helps Write $1.5T 2022 Omnibus Spending Bill with Key Wins for RI & Middle-Class Families | U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island". www.reed.senate.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Reed Announces Extra $48.5 Million to Fix RI Roads & Bridges | U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island". www.reed.senate.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Governor McKee, Senators Reed and Whitehouse, FHWA and RIDOT Break Ground for the East Bay Bike Path Bridges | Governor's Office, State of Rhode Island". governor.ri.gov. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  14. ↑ The History of Squantum
  15. ↑ Wastewater Treatment Facility Officials
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