The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority is announcing the completion of the third phase of the deck rehabilitation project on the Newport Pell Bridge for the season. By the end of this week, the construction barrier will be removed, and the traffic pattern on the bridge will return to two lanes in each direction. This project, which began on March 23rd, consisted of a partial depth hydro-demolition and reconstruction of the concrete bridge deck for approximately 4,700 feet of the westbound and eastbound lanes. The contractor removed the bridge deck down to the first layer of steel reinforcing, performed necessary steel and joint repairs, and placed new concrete. This work required long-term lane closures; however, travel will now return to two lanes in each direction.
Due to weather delays and the limited availability of specialized equipment for grinding and sealing the finished profile on the concrete bridge deck, the project will briefly resume in April 2021 for approximately one month. This portion of the project will be performed at night using temporary traffic controls and lane closures. This work will have no effect on daytime travel.
To plan your commute and stay ahead of the traffic, you can access up-to-date information on construction activity and real-time traffic by visiting RITBA’s website at RITBA.org. This site provides the latest information concerning lane closures, construction activity and traffic delays for the Newport Pell, Jamestown Verrazzano, Mount Hope and Sakonnet River Bridges, in addition to the Route 138 connector.
