With repairs ongoing at both the Washington and Pell bridges, the City of Newport is expecting heavier-than-normal traffic throughout the remainder of the week.
Newport Police will be posted at local intersections to help move traffic along, the City said in a press release, but motorists are advised to plan for delays.
The Turnpike and Bridge Authority says lane shifts and closures on the Pell Bridge are expected to continue through Thursday as crews place new median barriers at the approach to the Jamestown toll plaza.
Additional traffic from the Providence area due to the emergency closure of the Washington Bridge is only expected to add to congestion.
City officials say they have been in contact with the State Department of Transportation and RI Emergency Management Agency to address the backups, and are working with local businesses to relieve congestion. However, they are urging commuters to plan ahead and expect delays.
They say traffic during the morning and evening commutes is expected to remain heavy over the coming weeks.
Full statement from the City of Newport;
A pair of critical bridge repair projects are expected to significantly impact local roadways over the coming weeks.
Newport residents are being advised to expect heavier than normal traffic on local roadways through the remainder of the week as additional traffic being rerouted from Providence’s Washington Bridge converges with ongoing improvements being made to the Newport Pell Bridge by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.
City officials have been in contact with the State Department of Transportation, RI Emergency Management Agency, and the Turnpike and Bridge Authority to address the backups.
In addition, Newport Police Department personnel and the City administration are currently working with both our State partners and local business community to relieve the congestion, however commuters are urged to plan their trips accordingly and to expect delays.
The City has been informed that lane shifts and closures on the Pell Bridge are expected to continue through Thursday while crews place new median barriers at the approach to the Jamestown toll plaza.
Beyond that, traffic during the morning and evening commutes is expected to remain heavy over the coming weeks as East Bay motorists look to avoid the emergency closure of the westbound Washington Bridge.
Newport Police will be posted at local intersections as needed to help move traffic along, however motorists should be aware that heavy delays are expected while both the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and RITBA work to address respective and unforeseen emergency repairs to two of the state’s most heavily travelled bridges.
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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
