Cumberland officials cut the ribbon this week on a long-awaited drainage overhaul for Industrial Road, the town's largest business park, which has flooded so badly in past storms that the road itself sometimes became impassable. The upgraded stormwater system is meant to keep water from pooling in the area while also protecting water quality, a fix business owners along the corridor have been waiting on for years.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate the completion, according to WPRI.com, marking the end of a project years in the making for a business park that houses more than 30 businesses and for years has been prone to severe flooding, the station reports. The Valley Breeze reports the flooding has affected upwards of 30 businesses in the corridor, including Okonite, a wire and cable manufacturer that the paper identifies as one of Cumberland's largest commercial taxpayers.
Mayor Jeffrey Mutter called the moment significant for the businesses that have endured the problem for so long. For the businesses along Industrial Road that have dealt with flooding for years, this is a pretty big deal, Mutter said, per WPRI's report. The same outlet notes that officials attending Tuesday's event included U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, Congressman Gabe Amo, and Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank representative Bill Fazioli.
How The Project Was Funded
The upgrade was funded by a $1.2 million federal earmark secured by Rhode Island's congressional delegation through a FY2023 funding package, WPRI reports. The Valley Breeze additionally reports the project received a $500,000 Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank action grant, and credits Lisa Andoscia with securing both grants back in 2022. The newspaper also reports the grant funding came from Cumberland's congressional delegation, including Sens. Reed and Whitehouse and former Congressman David Cicilline.
Engineering and permitting support for the project came from Pare Corporation, the Valley Breeze reports, while R.T. Nunes served as project contractor. Romeo Mendes, Cumberland's public works director, guided the project to completion, according to the same report.
Officials Frame It As Long-Term Resilience, Not A Cure-All
Reed framed the federal dollars as part of a broader push, saying federal project funding is an investment in economic development, the environment and public safety, according to the Valley Breeze. At the same time, Reed acknowledged the upgrade's limits, saying federal funding will not stop severe storms, even as it should help prevent flooding and mitigate storm damage, the paper reports. Reed also said more flooding is coming to Rhode Island as climate change has effects, according to the same report, and the senator said he continues working to direct federal grants to Cumberland for water infrastructure, drainage, green infrastructure, flood resiliency and emergency preparedness. The Valley Breeze also reports Reed helped secure $9.54 million for Cumberland through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Mutter said the completed work advanced an investment addressing longstanding challenges and contributing to the town's economic vitality, the Valley Breeze reports, adding that the community project was completed through teamwork and supports continued infrastructure modernization and resilience. Sarah King, also quoted in the paper's report, said the town upgraded obsolete infrastructure and implemented an improved stormwater drainage system, and that modernizing the stormwater system will reduce heavy-rainfall impacts, improve roadway reliability and build community resilience.
Drainage Work Addresses Recurring Flooding
Industrial Road has experienced recurring flooding, and Cumberland has completed a drainage project there.
