Center Lanes Reopen on Pell Bridge Today, Though Work Continues

Traffic on the Claiborne Pell Bridge will flow a little more smoothly this week as the center lanes will be open to start Monday.

The center lanes were closed for the entire span of the bridge last week, which caused 30- to 45-minute delays during rush hour.

The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority indicated that the installation of the concrete barrier on the bridge deck has been completed. Though the barriers are in place, “there is still additional work to be done at the base of the bridge on the Newport side. This work includes new paving, guardrail installation, striping, and other miscellaneous work,” the authority said in a release.

The previously-closed open-road tolling lane is also expected to be open Monday morning, though there will be temporary lane closures resulting in one lane in each direction on the Newport side of the bridge.

“We understand the impact delays have on commuters and commercial drivers and are doing all we can to minimize the impediment to motorists. RITBA is currently on schedule to finish the project by May 1, 2015,” the authority said. “We appreciate your continued patience during this construction period as we make the bridge safer for all motorists.”

The median barrier installation progress can be followed on RITBA’s Facebook page andTwitter feed, and by visiting RITBA.org.

Aetna Bridge Company won the $5.9 million contract to erect the permanent barrier, which will consist of more than 3,600 individual linked concrete sections that will be made specifically for the project. Similar to concrete medians used for shifting HOV and carpool lanes, the movable design offers both flexibility and safety.

The decision to install a permanent concrete came after sustained and strong lobbying by numerous residents calling for improved safety measures on the bridge, including the group Citizens United for Bridge Safety, which has led a concerted effort to make it clear that the median is needed to prevent more head-on collisions and fatalities. The bridge has been the scene of countless head-on collisions over the years, notably last winter, when an elderly driver crossed the center line and crashed into a 25-year-old Warwick man head on. The elderly man died and the Warwick man was seriously injured.

There have been three fatalities on the bridge in the last three years.

The turnpike authority installed a temporary median earlier this year, made up of orange poles that can’t prevent collisions but were designed to serve as a warning to drivers who might be crossing the line.