Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge

Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge

The Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge in August 2009
Carries Route 138
Crosses West Passage of Narragansett Bay
Locale North Kingstown, Rhode Island to Jamestown, Rhode Island
Design post-tensioned, double-cell concrete box girder
Material concrete
Total length 7,350 feet (2,240 m)
Opened 1992

The Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge (often misspelled Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge) spans the West Passage of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, United States. It is part of Route 138 and is part of the route to Newport, Rhode Island for traffic heading northbound from Interstate 95.

The bridge is a post-tensioned, double-cell concrete box girder bridge with four travel lanes separated by a concrete Jersey barrier (the original bridge was dangerous with two undivided lanes). The total length of the bridge is 7,350 ft (2,240 m) and links the towns of North Kingstown, Rhode Island and the island town of Jamestown, Rhode Island. Despite being 15 years old, the bridge was listed as structurally deficient in 2007 due to small cracks found in some of the box girder segments.[1] The cracks were repaired in 2008.

Bicycles are not currently permitted on this bridge as a part of a limited access highway, but Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus #64 has bike racks without Sunday service.[2]

History

The bridge was completed in 1992 and was built alongside the two lane bridge that had served the same route since 1940. The original Jamestown Bridge was demolished in April 2006.

The bridge is named for Giovanni da Verrazzano.

References

  1. ^ Arsenault, Mark (2007-08-03). "R.I. bridge conditions rank worst in nation". The Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/news/content/Bridge_Safety_08-03-07_1S6K0CH.36ff8ea.html. Retrieved 2008-02-09. 
  2. ^ Bike Rhode Island and Guide to Bicycling in the Ocean State 2005-2006, Rhode Island Department of Transportation

External links