Governor and Other Officials in Town for Groundbreaking on Waterfront Drive (Video)

It's been a long time in the planning, but East Providence is moving forward with a major project to spur economic development in the city.

Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee joined federal, state and city officials at a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning for the project. More than a mile of new roadway will be built from Warren Avenue to Dexter Road as part of the project.

It will also allow for the development and redevelopment of about 285 acres of land in East Providence, according to a news release. The project has been more than 20 years in the planning. 

“The Waterfront Drive project is an example of a successful collaboration between Federal, State, and municipal government,” Chafee said in the release. “The Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the State Department of Transportation, and the City of East Providence have worked together to make this tremendous project possible.”

The project is also expected to have environmental benefits. Working with the University of Rhode Island, the project will also be a pilot project for a Rhode Island program designed to reduce carbon emissions from construction vehicles. The work will also convert a former brownfield site.

“While there are many economic benefits to the project, the environmental benefits also are important to note,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said in the news release. “This project will provide vital waterfront access, clean up contamination and encourage redevelopment along the East Providence Waterfront.”