PROVIDENCE – A pair of state transportation agencies have been awarded a total of $33 million in federal grants for infrastructure projects, including money for a transit hub in downtown Providence that has been on the drawing board for many years.
The R.I. Public Transit Authority has been awarded $25 million for the new Providence transit center, and the R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority is getting $8 million for the Mount Hope Bridge rehabilitation effort, Rhode Island congressional delegates announced on July 3.
The funding comes from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development program, which provides competitive federal grants for transportation projects that improve safety, mobility and economic opportunity.
Previously known as the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, BUILD was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Over the years, the program has awarded more than $18 billion in 18 rounds to local governments and entities.
“This is another federal investment in Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure that will enhance connectivity, improve safety, and benefit residents, businesses and taxpayers for years to come,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I.
RIPTA is seeking to build a new transportation center in downtown Providence, adjacent to the Amtrak station. In 2025, RIPTA had narrowed the recommended sites for the transit center to either Station Park, a parcel at the corner of Gaspee and Francis streets, or a triangle of empty land at Railroad Street and Park Row West.
RIPTA says it has hired Next Wave Partners to complete an in-depth evaluation and structural feasibility study of building a bus hub those parcels. That study is in progress.
The new facility is expected to serve as the hub for the agency’s statewide bus service, enhance connectivity to regional rail services and support multimodal transportation. The plan is to replace the transit hub at Kennedy Plaza, but it has also faced opposition from people who don’t want to see the transit center moved out of the plaza.
The center would include an indoor concourse with passenger amenities and 36,000 square feet of bus berth space to support the needs of the statewide bus system.
“We are grateful to our congressional delegation for their steadfast support and commitment to investing in infrastructure that will benefit Rhode Islanders for generations," said Christopher Durand, RIPTA's CEO. "This new, state-of-the-art Providence Transit Center will create a true intermodal transportation hub, seamlessly connecting people to jobs, education, healthcare, and opportunities throughout Rhode Island and the Northeast."
RIPTA has engaged Next Wave Partners to complete an in-depth evaluation and structural feasibility study of building a bus hub on parcels adjacent to the Providence Train Station on Francis Street. That study is currently in progress.
“This funding is a major win for Rhode Island commuters,” said U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner. “A modern transit center will make it easier for Rhode Islanders to get to travel across our state and region.”
The R.I. Turnpike and Bridge Authority will use the funding to design a new Mount Hope Bridge deck, incorporate new technologies and prepare the project for construction bidding while limiting transit disruptions. Along with ongoing cable dehumidification work, the new deck would extend the bridge’s life by another 50 years.
“This BUILD Grant will improve connectivity through the Providence Transportation Center and extend the life of the Mount Hope Bridge, an iconic symbol of Rhode Island, making commuting for work, play, or school safer and easier for countless Rhode Islanders,” said Rep. Gabe Amo, D-R.I.
(Updated to include the status of a study being conducted on the two recommended parcels for the transit center and adds a comment from RIPTA CEO Christopher Durand.)
