Work slated to begin on $6M Newport Transportation and Visitors Center repair project

THE R.I. PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY said work to repair and upgrade the exterior passenger and pedestrian area at the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center on America’s Cup Avenue is scheduled to begin by the year’s end and is slated to be completed by June.
THE R.I. PUBLIC TRANSIT AUTHORITY said work to repair and upgrade the exterior passenger and pedestrian area at the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center on America’s Cup Avenue is scheduled to begin by the year’s end and is slated to be completed by June.

NEWPORT – Work to repair and improve the exterior passenger and pedestrian area at the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center on America’s Cup Avenue is scheduled to begin by the end of the year, and is slated to be completed by June, a spokeswoman for the R.I. Public Transit Authority said Monday.
“Our goal is to cause the least amount of disruption to the city and our passengers,” RIPTA spokeswoman Barbara Polichetti said in a statement. “We planned the project with construction taking place in the winter months so that Newport can start its 2017 summer season with a renovated transit hub to welcome visitors.”

Last week, the construction contract for the approximately $6 million project was awarded to Cranston-based Tower Construction Corp.
The project, which is being funded by a 90 percent federal grant with a 10 percent match from the city of Newport, will repair the exterior area of the transit hub and visitor center. The project also is being supported by contributions from Bike Newport and Discover Newport.
The facility’s exterior was damaged four years ago by Superstorm Sandy. RIPTA pursued grant funding, with the help of the state’s congressional delegation, from the Federal Transit Administration, which has a program specifically for projects to repair transit facilities damaged by Sandy.

The visitor center will remain open for business during construction, although RIPTA buses and RIPTA bus stops will be temporarily relocated. RIPTA also will be providing passengers and the public with more detailed information on the temporary bus locations, Polichetti said.
The old canopy covering will be replaced with a permanent roof that will provide better passenger protection and be more resilient to future storms, RIPTA said. There also will be improved signage and lighting.
RIPTA officials will attend an informational community forum on the project sponsored by The Alliance for Livable Newport on Monday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Newport Transportation and Visitors Center.

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