Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge
Coordinates: 41°30′10.28″N 71°20′21.76″W / 41.5028556°N 71.3393778°W
| Newport Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Pell Bridge from the Jamestown side, 2009 |
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| Official name | Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge |
| Carries | Four lanes of  Route 138 |
| Crosses | Narragansett Bay |
| Locale | Between Jamestown and Newport, Rhode Island |
| Maintained by | Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 11,248 ft (3,428 m) |
| Width | 48 ft (15 m) |
| Height | 400 ft (120 m)[1] |
| Longest span | 1,600 ft (490 m) |
| Clearance below | 206 ft (63 m) at mid-span |
| Opened | June 28, 1969 |
| Toll | Cars $2.00 per axle both directions |
| Daily traffic | 27,000 |
The Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island (northeastern United States). The bridge, part of RI 138, connects the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on Conanicut Island, which in turn is connected to the mainland by the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge.
Dimensions
The main span of the Newport Bridge is 1,601 feet (488 m), ranking it number 70 among the longest suspension bridges in the world, and making it the longest suspension bridge in New England. The overall length of the bridge is 3,428 meters (11,247 ft). Its main towers reach 122 meters (400 ft) above the water surface, and the roadway height reaches as high as 66 meters (215 ft).[2] It is four lanes wide, two in each direction. On a clear day, the bridge's towers are visible from the observation plaza at the Gay Head Light in Aquinnah on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.
Tolls
The Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge is a toll bridge, and the cash toll is US$4.00 for cars (as of 2009). E-ZPass is accepted, and Rhode Island residents with a Rhode Island E-ZPass pay a discounted toll of only 83 cents. Early in 2012, the Authority had voted to raise tolls for passenger vehicles to $5. However on June 15, 2012 this plan was abolished as Rhode Island lawmakers approved tolls to be added to the newly built Sakonnet River Bridge in the future.[3] The bridge also charges a fee equal to the toll for improperly mounted Ez-Pass transponders that require a toll-booth operator to manually raise the gate.[4] Out-of-state residents pay full price, even with a Rhode Island E-ZPass,[5] making this bridge the only toll facility in the U.S. to give a residence discount that isn't limited to the adjacent neighborhoods. The bridge is the only toll road in Rhode Island.[6]
In the spring of 2012, the Bridge Authority brought Open Road Tolling to the Pell bridge, allowing drivers with E-ZPass to pass through a special E-ZPass only toll lane at 40 mph. Violators are subject to a $10 fine, on top of the unpaid toll. The new lanes opened to traffic on June 22, in time for the America's Cup sailing race being held in Newport. The bridge's top layer of concrete was also scheduled to be resurfaced during the spring, but work is ongoing as of mid-May.
History
The bridge was constructed from 1966 to 1969 at a cost of U.S.$54,742,000 by the Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas company, also famous for engineering the modern New York City Subway and the Cape Cod Canal.
The bridge was renamed for U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell in 1992, but it is still commonly referred to as the Newport Bridge by residents and historians. The bridge is featured on the Rhode Island state quarter.
The first time that runners were allowed over the bridge was when a group of 300 runners ran over in the early 1980s in a half-marathon for Save The Bay. In the fall of 2011, the inaugural Citizens Bank Newport Pell Bridge Run was held which marked the first time in recent history that runners were allowed to cross the bridge (which was closed to traffic).[7]
Bicycles are not permitted on this bridge, but Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus #64 has bike racks for weekday and Saturday travel.[8]
Gallery
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Bridge at twilight
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Bridge at night
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The bridge's representation on the state quarter
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The bridge with a ship passing underneath the main span
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Crossing the bridge
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Bridge during a lightning storm
References
- ^ "Claiborne Pell (Newport) Bridge (RI 138)". Retrieved 2008-04-28.
- ^ "Pell Bridge paint job: $78 million", Projo.com, 2007-08-31, retrieved 2007-08-31
- ^ "No increase for Pell Bridge tolls". Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ "Unmounted E-ZPass will cause extra fees". Retrieved 2012-05-01.
- ^ http://www.ritba.org/nbtolls.html
- ^ EZ-Pass Lanes open (– Scholar search), Associated Press, 2008-12-16, retrieved 2008-12-16[dead link][dead link]
- ^ "Citizens Bank Bridge Run". Retrieved 2012-05-01.
- ^ Bike Rhode Island and Guide to Bicycling in the Ocean State 2005-2006, Rhode Island Department of Transportation
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge |
- Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge page on Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority site
- Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge page on BostonRoads.com
- Claiborne Pell Bridge at Structurae
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