New roads with more space for bicycles, ADA-compliant sidewalks, and a scenic overlook of Bristol Harbor are some of the improvements planned for one of Rhode Island’s most historic areas.

The who’s who of the Rhode Island political scene, including Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, Congressman Seth Magaziner, Governor McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, and Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT), Peter Alviti, joined Town Administrator Steven Contente to share thoughts on $750,000 in federal money that was secured to rejuvenate Bristol’s “Revolutionary Heritage Byway” during an event on Aug. 16 at the Herreshoff Marine Museum tent overlooking Bristol Harbor.

That byway includes a six-mile stretch of road along State Route 114 and High Street, much of which runs parallel to Bristol Harbor. The funding, which was secured in large part due to Senator Reed’s efforts to make $20 million available in the federal budget for the National Scenic Byway Program, will enable the following improvements:

• Restoration of the seawall between Burnside Street and Summer Street, including the construction of a new scenic overlook of Bristol Harbor
• New pavement surface
• New sidewalks and ADA accessibility improvements along both shoulders between Walley Street and Summer Street, including the extension of sidewalk in front of Walley Park
• Variable shoulder width adjustments to improve bicycle access;
• Repair or replacement of drainage systems and basins
• Soil restoration and greenery improvements.

“This roadway traces a path through history. Every 4th of July it’s where we gather to celebrate our shared history. But it is also a working road that Rhode Islanders use every day to get where they need to go. I’m pleased to deliver funding to help preserve and protect this scenic and historic byway,” said Reed, who also secured a $1 million earmark last year to make sidewalk improvements along the Byway. “Making it easier to navigate provides tangible benefits for pedestrians, drivers, bikers, small businesses, and the surrounding community. I commend Bristol for prioritizing the preservation of their history and culture.”

Alviti said that the project now must go through the permitting and design process, which includes gaining permissions from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Resource Management Commission (CRMC) due to the proposed work on the seawall. All told, Alviti estimated the project will take between three and four years to complete.

When asked how the construction would affect 4th of July festivities, Alviti said that minimizing disruption of the parade is a key component to the plan.

“The parade adds an additional challenge to us on this project but rest assured, the parade will go on,” he said. “The route will be combined in with our design and construction process to ensure it is unimpeded. And the businesses along every route that we rebuild our highways and bridges in Rhode Island are of prime concern to us to minimize the impact, and the same will happen here.”

What exactly is the Revolutionary Heritage Byway?
Established by Congress in 1991, the National Scenic Byways Program sought to recognize and preserve historic, scenic and culturally important roads to promote tourism and economic development throughout the country. Although the program was suspended in 2012, it was brought back in 2019 by former Congressman David Cicilline, while Senator Reed worked to get $16 million in grant funding to feed the program.

Bristol’s byway was first recognized as a state byway in 2000, and was recognized by the federal selection committee for inclusion in the program in 2021. It is the only National Scenic Byway in Rhode Island, and one of 184 such routes nationwide, which includes such famed stretches as Route 66.