The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the third phase of the William C. O'Neill (South County) Bike Path. The event will take place off MacArthur Boulevard in South Kingstown on the newly-constructed path where it crosses underneath Route 1.
The new 0.8-mile path connects to the existing bike path, which runs from Kingston Station off Route 138 in West Kingston to Route 108 opposite MacArthur Boulevard. Combined, the bikeway is now 7.8 miles long and extends to Mumford Road in Narragansett.
Scheduled speakers include Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis, South Kingstown Town Council President Ella M. Whaley, and Narragansett Town Council President Pro Tem David Crook, Sr.
The event also will include the debut of a public art space on the walls of the tunnel that allows the path to pass under Route 1.
Parking
There is limited on-street parking near the event site. Car pooling is recommended. Guests can also park at Narragansett Elementary School on Mumford Road or in parking lots adjacent to the bike path in South Kingstown (see directions below). Attendees are invited to walk or cycle to the event.
Directions to Bikeway Dedication:
From Points North: I-95 South to Exit 9 to Route 4 South. Follow Route 4 onto Route 1 South. Take the Narragansett exit (the first exit after the Wakefield exit). At the end of the ramp, turn right onto Route 108 North. Take the first right (after Rhody Joe's Restaurant) onto MacArthur Boulevard. The entrance to the bike path is about a ¼ mile on the right.
From Points South and West: Follow Route 1 North to the Narragansett/Point Judith exit. At the end of the ramp, turn right onto Woodruff Avenue. Turn left onto Route 108 North. Take the second exit at the Dillon Rotary to continue on Route 108 North. Turn right onto MacArthur Boulevard and follow the directions above.
Cycling to the event via the William C. O'Neill Bike Path from Narragansett: Riders can park at Narragansett Elementary School on Mumford Road. Follow Mumford Road North about 500 feet to the path entrance and follow the path about a ½ mile to the event site.
Cycling to the event via the William C. O'Neill Bike Path from South Kingstown: Riders can park at three locations, depending on the distance they wish to cycle. Parking locations and distances from the event site include: Kingston Station off Route 138 (5.5 miles), Peace Dale village on Kingstown Road at Railroad Street (1.5 miles), and the Wakefield Intermodal Parking Center on Main Street near Robinson Street (0.7 miles).
Address for GPS: 100 MacArthur Boulevard, South Kingstown