NORTH KINGSTOWN — State officials said yesterday that they will open another segment of Route 403, the new highway connecting Route 4 to the Quonset Business Park, this morning.

Governor Carcieri and a number of other officials and business people celebrated the event under a tent beside the new highway. He described it as “a key part of the economic infrastructure of our state.” The governor also led a symbolic parade of 10 trucks down the new highway toward the industrial park.

The new segment, connected to the first phase of Route 403 that opened in 2006, will give direct highway access to the Quonset park from Route 4, the Department of Transportation said.

Despite the ceremony yesterday, the project isn’t quite complete and some work may carry over to spring.

“Motorists will now have direct highway access to the Quonset Business Park from Route 4; however, construction will be ongoing through fall 2009,” the DOT said. The agency said that more work remains on the highway and on two ramps associated with it. The agency also warned motorists that “ongoing construction will be taking place on the new road,” particularly where two segments of the highway meet near School Street.

Stephen A. Cardi, treasurer of the Cardi Corp., the contractor building the highway, said that some specialized paving work may also have to wait until spring.

The opening will, however, remove industrial park traffic from local streets, the DOT said.

The DOT put the project’s cost at $130 million. Work began in 2001, and the DOT has opened up the project in sections. It includes new interchanges at Post Road and at Route 4.

Carcieri used the event yesterday to urge voters to support the $87-million bond issue on the ballot this year. Most of that money would be used to make the state eligible for more than $400 million in federal highway aid. Some will also go to buy new buses for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority and to help expand the state’s commuter rail service southward from Providence.

Bob Miller, general manager of Emac Transport Co., located in the park, said the new highway will help his company’s operations.

“It’s going to cut out a lot of time,” he said, saving the company payroll costs because of the amount of time wasted waiting in traffic on clogged local roads.

The new highway will probably save some fuel, too, Miller said. “You had a lot of idling time on Devil’s Foot Road,” he said.

Making a point emphasized by state officials, Miller referred to the new highway’s removing a substantial amount of commercial traffic from local roads. It will, he said, “ease the pain on the neighbors.”

blandis@projo.com