Delays on Pell Bridge to Worsen This Week as Lanes Close

The left lane in both directions on the Claiborne Pell Bridge are closing for several weeks beginning today as part of the construction of a new permanent median barrier.

The closure will likely extend the delays being experienced by morning and afternoon commuters, according to officials at the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

Motorists are asked to be patient and plan ahead.

The closure of the lanes is needed to give crews space to install the median, which will run the length of the entire bridge.

The closure will also affect the eastbound open toll road. All traffic will be routed through the gated lanes.

The project is expected to run for six weeks before completion.

The median barrier installation progress can be followed on RITBA’s Facebook page and Twitter 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.