Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

Coordinates: 41°30′10.28″N 71°20′21.76″W / 41.5028556°N 71.3393778°W / 41.5028556; -71.3393778

Newport Bridge
Pell Bridge from the Jamestown side, 2009
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
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 $4.00 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), 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 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. Out-of-state residents pay full price, even with a Rhode Island E-ZPass,^[2] 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.^[3]

The main span of the Newport Bridge is 488 meters (1601 ft), 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).^[4]

The bridge was constructed from 1966-1969 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 inaugural Citizens Bank Bridge Run will be held on November 13, 2011. This marks the first time ever that runners will be allowed to cross the bridge. http://citizensbridgerun.com/

Bicycles are not permitted on this bridge, but Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus #64 has bike racks for weekday and Saturday travel.^[5]

Gallery

• 

  Bridge at twilight

• 

  Bridge at night

• 

  The bridge's representation on the state quarter

• 

  The bridge with a ship passing underneath the main span

• 

  Crossing the bridge

• 

  Bridge during a lightning storm

References

1. ^ "Claiborne Pell (Newport) Bridge (RI 138)". http://www.bostonroads.com/crossings/pell-newport/. Retrieved 2008-04-28. 
2. ^ http://www.ritba.org/nbtolls.html
3. ^ (– ^{Scholar search}) EZ-Pass Lanes open, Associated Press, 2008-12-16, http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/R/RI_NEWPORT_E_Z_PASS_RIOL-?SITE=WBZAM&SECTION=SPORTS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT, retrieved 2008-12-16 ^{[dead link][dead link]}
4. ^ "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 2007-08-31 
5. ^ Bike Rhode Island and Guide to Bicycling in the Ocean State 2005-2006, Rhode Island Department of Transportation

External links

• 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