Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge

The Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge where the main load-bearing elements are hung from suspension cables. While modern suspension bridges with level decks date from the early 19th century, earlier types are reported from the 3rd century BC....
operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay

Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi? , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago....
in Rhode Island

Rhode Island

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a U.S. state in the New England region of the United States....
(northeastern United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
), connecting the City of Newport

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island....
on Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island is the largest island in Narragansett Bay. Its official name, Rhode Island, is used on USGS topographic and many other maps, but it is known locally as Aquidneck Island, in part to distinguish it from the Rhode Island, of which it is part....
and the Town of Jamestown

Jamestown, Rhode Island

Jamestown is a New England town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,622 at the United States Census, 2000....
on Conanicut Island

Conanicut Island

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge'

Start a new discussion about 'Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

The Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

Narragansett Bay

Rhode Island

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a U.S. state in the New England region of the United States....
(northeastern United States

United States

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence, Rhode Island....
on Aquidneck Island

Aquidneck Island

Jamestown, Rhode Island

Jamestown is a New England town located in Newport County, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, in the United States. The population was 5,622 at the United States Census, 2000....
on Conanicut Island

Conanicut Island

Conanicut Island is the second largest island in Narragansett Bay, in the state of Rhode Island. It is connected on the east to Newport, Rhode Island on Aquidneck Island by the Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge, and on the west to North Kingstown, Rhode Island on the mainland by the Jamestown-Verraz...
. The bridge is four lanes (two in each direction) and is part of RI 138. It is a toll bridge, and the toll is US$2.00 for cars (as of 2008), though tokens are available at a discount for commuters

Commuting

Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. Institutions that have few dormitory or near-campus student housing are called commuter schools in the United States....
and other frequent travelers. The bridge, which accepts E-ZPass

E-ZPass

E-ZPass is an electronic toll collection system used on most tolled roads, bridges, and tunnels in the northeastern United States. Currently, there are 24 agencies spread across 13 states that make up the ....
, is the only toll road in Rhode Island.

The main span of the Newport Bridge is 488 meters (1601 ft), ranking it number 70 among the largest suspension bridges

List of largest suspension bridges

This list ranks the world's suspension bridges by the length of the main span . The length of main span is the most common method of comparing the sizes of suspension bridges....
in the world, and making it the largest suspension bridge in New England

New England

New England is a region of the United States located in the northeastern corner of the country, bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and New York State, and consisting of the modern U.S....
. The overall length of the bridge is 3,428 meters (11,247 ft). Its main towers reach 122 meters (400 ft) above the water surface, and the roadway height reaches as high as 66 meters (215 ft).

The bridge was constructed from 1966-1969 at a cost of US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
54,742,000 by the Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas firm, also famous for engineering the modern New York City Subway

New York City Subway

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit....
and the Cape Cod Canal

Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south....
.

The bridge was renamed for U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell

Claiborne Pell

Claiborne de Borda Pell was a United States Senate from Rhode Island, serving six terms from 1961 to 1997, and was best known as the sponsor of the Pell Grant, which provides student financial aid funding to U.S....
in 1992, but it is still commonly referred to as the Newport Bridge by residents and historians. The bridge is featured on the Rhode Island state quarters.

Bicycles are not permitted on this bridge, but Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island....
bus #64 has bike racks for weekday and Saturday travel.

External links

on Rhode Island Turnpike & Bridge Authority site
on BostonRoads.com