The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) today announced that it completed all infrastructure repairs and upgrades for the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge’s eastbound, high speed lane which required long term lane closure.

This portion of the construction project, which was expected to last all week, was completed early due to favorable weather conditions and construction crews working hard to complete all tasks efficiently and effectively.  The remainder of the work will be mostly done inside the bridge itself and will require minimal lane closures over the next 30 days.


The construction project on the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge was the result of findings within the 2015 Biennial Bridge Inspection that showed issues with certain aspects of the bridge.  The construction work just completed included: replacing steel hatches and concrete repair on the bridge deck.  The remaining work includes:  replacing drainage troughs, repairing expansion joints, and repairing damaged guard rails.

The Authority thanks everyone for their patience during construction.
Members of the public can check bridge conditions and closures by contacting RITBA at 401-423-0800, check its website at www.ritba.org, on Twitter or on Facebook.

Ryan Belmore

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp.  He has been involved with What’sUpNewp since shortly after its launch in 2012, proudly leading it to be named Best Local News Blog in Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly readers in 2018, 2019, and 2020 and an honorable mention in the Common Good Awards in 2021.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals. He previously served on the boards of Fort Adams Trust, Lucy's Hearth, and the Arts & Cultural Alliance for Newport County.

In 2020, he was named Member of the Year by LION and won the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County's Dominque Award.

He is a member of Local Independent Online News (LION) Publishers, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, he spent 39 years living in Rhode Island before recently moving to Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife and two rescue dogs. He still considers Rhode Island home, and visits at least once a month.