Federal and state officials joined Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) officials to break ground on the Pawtucket-Central Falls Commuter Rail Station and Bus Hub in early November.
When the new intermodal transit center opens in 2022, it will mark the return of rail service to the area for the first time in nearly four decades.
Officials say the transit center will allow riders to switch modes easily between commuter rail and RIPTA's statewide bus network. Ridership studies show the new station will attract an estimated 520 daily boardings. When complete, the commuter rail stop will join three other stations (Providence, T.F. Green and Wickford Junction) serviced by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), with numerous stops in Massachusetts on route to South Station in Boston.
"This is a fantastic day as we further strengthen our transportation system and plant the seed for new development that will rise up around this transportation center," Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said. "It's also a sign that Pawtucket and Central Falls are on the map and poised to be major players in the economic revival of the Blackstone Valley and the entire State of Rhode Island."
The commuter rail station will be located near the intersections of Pine Street and Goff Avenue in Pawtucket, and act as a catalyst for increased transit-oriented economic development given its proximity to the 150-acre Conant Thread District. It will include dedicated platforms for northbound and southbound service, connected by a pedestrian bridge overpass, elevators, ramps and stairs.
Funding for the $47-million project comes from a $13.1 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant awarded to RIDOT in 2016, a $7 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to RIPTA for the bus hub component, an additional $18 million in federal funds, $5.9 million from the state and a joint contribution of $3 million from the communities of Pawtucket and Central Falls.
Originally envisioned as two separate projects, RIDOT, with RIPTA, included construction for both modes of travel in its request for proposals. Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., was awarded the design-build contract, which consists of building the train station and bus hub simultaneously. Construction began immediately following the groundbreaking ceremony and will continue for three years, reaching substantial completion in late 2021. The timeframe accommodates limited construction time periods along Amtrak's busy rail corridor, with much of the work only taking place during overnight hours when trains are not running. RIDOT expects that service would begin in Summer 2022 after a thorough testing and commissioning period led by the MBTA to ensure smooth operations and passenger safety.
The bus hub component is scheduled to open by the end of 2020. This would relocate RIPTA's bus hub from its current location on Roosevelt Avenue in Pawtucket. The project also includes construction of a Transit Emphasis Corridor, which will create dedicated bus lanes and bike lanes along Exchange Street and Goff Avenue, linking the new transit facility to the heart of Downtown Pawtucket.
