Done: Phase I Construction Work On Newport Pell Bridge

NEWPORT, RI — The good news about the Newport Bridge is that permanent lane closures are over until September. The bad news, there will be periodic lane closures through the summer, the state Turnpike and Bridge Authority said Tuesday. Travel since May 16 had typically been single lane in both directions, due to construction, which was expected to last until June 29. But the work wrapped up two days ahead of schedule. Now, the project moves to barges under the span, but some work may require lane closures (at night or during non rush hours) over the next months, the state said. Also, overweight vehicles cannot use the bridge. Here are the details from the press release:

"During July and August work will be performed from underneath the Bridge using barges, to focus on the removal of the existing steel bearings from the Bridge’s original construction in 1969 and replace them with new and modern elastomeric bearings. As a result there will not be any permanent lane closures during these months on the Bridge. However, there will be ongoing maintenance work associated with other projects which will require periodic lane closures during non-rush hours as well as some nights. Overweight vehicles with Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) over 80,000 pounds will be prohibited from crossing the bridge."

The permanent lane closures start up again on Sept. 19.