The plan for what would become Rhode Island's first major bike path path was approved in April 1983 by GovernorEdward DiPrete. It was built from 1987 to 1992, following the abandoned rail bed of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad. The property was acquired and constructed in four phases:
Riverside Square to Barrington County Road ()
County Road, Barrington to Franklin Street, Warren ()
Franklin Street, Warren to Independence Park, Bristol ()
The completed path was dedicated on May 31, 1992, by Governor Bruce Sundlun.An 8.5 mile on-road, via bike lane, was completed in 2011, linking the East Bay Bike Path with the south tip of the Blackstone River Bikeway, a trail, which will link Providence with Worcester, Massachusetts. Rhode Island's next project will be connecting the east bay bike path with theWashington Secondary Rail Trail.