Rhode Island announces $81M grant to connect I-95 & Quonset Park
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) – Rhode Island delegation gathered Monday to celebrate an $81M grant awarded to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT).
The grant was established to create a ‘missing move’ between I-95 & Quonset Park in North Kingstown, allowing drivers to travel directly from Route 4 to I-95 in all directions.
“For decades travelers in Rhode Island have had to get off I-95 and wind their way to Route 4 on local roads,” said RIDOT Director Peter Alviti. “With this connection, they can travel seamlessly.”
The project is one of 37 infrastructure projects from across the country awarded federal funding through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) and Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant programs.
In addition to the I-95 connection, Rhode Island’s $81 million INFRA Grant will fund the creation of three ramps to improve access for freight operators approaching Quonset Business Park, home to over 200 companies and 14,000 jobs, per RI delegation.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, and Governor Dan McKee were among those who gathered to acknowledge the grant.
“This is the second-largest INFRA grant Rhode Island has received, and the largest to date for the Rhode Island Department of Transportation,” Whitehouse said. “The investment will provide a huge boost for the continued growth of Quonset Business Park and make driving in southern Rhode Island more convenient and less congested for drivers.”
