Newsletter Title
In This Issue
Quonset Installs Locally Made Granite Sign
Port Pursuing Marine Highway Corridor Program
Major Research Vessel Comes to Quonset
Pedestrian/Bike Path - Opening Early Summer
Quonset Installs New Locally Made
Granite Sign
 
A new granite welcome sign for the Quonset Business Park was installed at the roundabout located at the intersection of Davisville Road, Gate Road and Romano Vineyard Way. The sign weighs in at 13,000 pounds, and was installed with help from crane services donated by Nick Tannionos, owner of Specialty Diving Services. It was the largest granite sign made yet to date by Swenson Granite, a local granite company located in North Kingstown.

About Quonset News
Join Our Mailing List
Port of Davisville Pursuing Marine
Highway Corridor Program  

The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) is moving to have the Port of Davisville included in the federal Marine Highway Corridor Program.  The program establishes marine corridors to transport freight and passengers via ship, barge or ferry as an alternative to utilizing congested highway infrastructure. 

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Marine Highway designation includes ports and short sea shipping lanes and provides for federal support for infrastructure improvements and incentives to encourage utilization of the Marine Highway.

"The marine highway makes sense for businesses not only within the Quonset Business Park, but throughout our region since it provides economical options for moving goods," said J. Michael Saul, interim executive director of the RIEDC.  
Major Research Vessel Set to Come to Quonset

NOAA  

The 250 foot research vessel Okeanos Explorer is set to home port at Quonset, creating a synergy between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the thriving oceanographic education and research at the University of Rhode Island.  
 
The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC) Board of Directors authorized the lease of office and research space and dockage space on the south side of Pier One for the vessel.  QDC will construct and own the 8,500 square foot office and research building. The ten-year lease with NOAA is set to take effect on July 1, 2010.
 
With its one-of-a-kind former Navy surveillance ship, NOAA will be mapping the physical, biological, chemical and archeological aspects of the ocean.  The efforts to bring the NOAA vessel to Rhode Island were spearheaded by Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri and U.S. Senator Jack Reed, with the full support of the entire Rhode Island congressional delegation.  
Shared Use Pedestrian/ Bike Path
on Schedule to Open Early Summer


Now that the weather is warmer, construction crews are steadily working to finish the new 2 ½ mile shared use pedestrian bike path at the Quonset Business Park.  The binder coat of the asphalt is being laid along the path which runs from Newcomb Road, behind the Gateway at Quonset Point and down to the water at Calf Pasture Point.  The fencing that separates the bike path from the road and neighborhood is being completed and 12 park benches will be installed along the path.  The landscaping, that includes hundreds of flowering plants and trees, is in the process of being planted. The entire path, costing $1.34 million is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Quonset Development Corporation (QDC). Work should be completed by the end of June.