Rhode Island Route 403 - History

History

The original Route 403 that existed prior to 2006 was numbered in 1973 as a spur route of the newly constructed Route 4. The two-lane, undivided state highway was the main access road to Davisville and Quonset Point from Route 4. Quonset was home to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, a major U.S. naval base, until 1974. After the closure of the base, the Quonset Point region of North Kingstown was converted into an industrial zone and commercial district by the state of Rhode Island; a container port and the Quonset State Airport were also opened for commercial use.

By the 1980s, more than 12,000 cars were using Route 403 daily to access the business park; the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) estimated that this vehicle volume would exceed 25,000 by 2005. This high vehicle capacity would be dangerous because of Route 403's sharp curves and low speed limit in Davisville. The narrow route through a densely populated region was particularly unsuitable for the high volume of commercial trucks that used it to access Route 4 from the Quonset Business Park and container port. RIDOT began studies on improving the route in 1987, exploring both the widening of the existing route to a four-lane, undivided highway and the construction of a freeway as options. The proposal to widen the existing road was ultimately dropped, as it would less effective at relieving congestion in the region and would require significant demolition of existing structures in Davisville. A freeway alternative to be constructed north of the existing route with more direct access to Route 4 and an eastward expansion beyond US 1 into the Quonset Business Park was selected instead.