Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

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Newport Bridge
Newport Bridge
Official name Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge
Carries Four lanes of RI 138
Crosses Narragansett Bay
Locale Between Jamestown and Newport, Rhode Island
Maintained by Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority
Design Suspension bridge
Longest span 1,600 ft (490 m)
Total length 11,248 ft (3,428 m)
Width 48 ft (15 m)
Height 400 ft (120 m)[1]
Clearance below 206 ft (63 m) at mid-span
AADT 27,000
Opening date June 28, 1969
Toll Cars $2.00 both directions
The bridge's representation on the state quarter.
The bridge's representation on the state quarter.
Approximate location
Approximate location

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), connecting the City of Newport on Aquidneck Island and the Town of Jamestown on Conanicut Island. The bridge is four lanes (two in each direction) and is part of RI 138. It is a toll bridge, and the toll is US$2.00 for cars (as of 2008), though tokens are available at a discount for commuters and other frequent travelers. The bridge is the only toll road in Rhode Island. The Turnpike and Bridge Authority has announced it is planning to install the E-ZPass electronic toll collection system on the bridge by 2009. [2]

The main span of the Newport Bridge is 488 meters (1601 feet), ranking it number 64 among the largest suspension bridges in the world, and making it the largest suspension bridge in New England. The overall length of the bridge is 3,428 meters (11,247 feet). Its main towers reach 122 meters (400 feet) above the water surface, and the roadway height reaches as high as 66 meters (215 feet).[3]

The bridge was constructed from 1966-1969 at a cost of US$54,742,000 by the Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas firm, 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 quarters.

Bicycles are not permitted on this bridge, but Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus #64 has bike racks for weekday and Saturday travel.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Claiborne Pell (Newport) Bridge (RI 138). Retrieved on 2008-04-28.
  2. ^ “Plan calls for installing E-Z Pass on the Pell Bridge”, Projo.com, July 26, 2007, <http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2007/07/plan_calls_for.html>. Retrieved on 27 July 2007 
  3. ^ “Pell Bridge paint job: $78 million”, Projo.com, 2007-08-31, <http://www.projo.com/news/content/PELL_BRIDGE_08-31-07_946UCDV.38260b7.html>. Retrieved on 31 August 2007 
  4. ^ Bike Rhode Island and Guide to Bicycling in the Ocean State 2005-2006, Rhode Island Department of Transportation

[edit] External links

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