PROGRESS ON THE FIRST MILE – SITE INVESTIGATIONS

April 16, 2020

Here’s what the attached notice (see below) from Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Rhode Island Department of Transportation means:

The Shared Use Path (aka First Mile Bikeway) is part of the Pell Bridge Ramp Realignment project. The required environmental assessment of the Pell Bridge Project and the associated public review/comment period is in progress. One part of this process – the environmental boring investigation – was completed in two parts: the roadway realignment and the railway corridor. The roadway investigation was performed. This RIDEM review is for the rail corridor only.

The “Limited Site Investigations” referenced in this notice refer to the testing of ground samples which are spread out across the site. As the site of the shared use path is the rail corridor, there are a number of contaminants consistent with a functioning railway, including byproducts of fuel and oil, and heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. This information is necessarily noted in contingency plans and contracts prior to construction, in accordance with RIDEM’s requirements.

The purpose of this public meeting is to provide information about these findings and future development plans for the site, as well as general information about site remediation.

We encourage anyone interested to join the public Zoom webinar on April 29, and to share written comments. All information is in the attached notice.

It’s great to see progress – here in the rail corridor, as well as on the “Phase 1” separated bike/ped path on Connell Highway, where first steps of erosion control and drainage repairs are about to get underway.