The Claiborne Pell Suspension Bridge, also known as Newport Bridge, connects the cities of Newport and Jamestown. The total length of the bridge is 11,248 feet (3,428 meters), width is 48 feet (15 meters).
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| Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge |
History
The bridge was built from 1966 to 1969 at a price US $ 54,742,000 by Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas.
The bridge was opened on June 28, 1969 with ceremonies, celebrations and fanfare.
The bridge was renamed US Senator Claiborne Pell in 1992, although residents of nearby towns still often refer to it as Newport Bridge.
The bridge was built in the Rhode Island Quarter in 2001.
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| Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge |
Runners were first allowed to cross the bridge when a group of 300 runners fled in the early 1980s during the Save The Bay half marathon. In the fall of 2011, the first Citizens Bank Newport Pell Bridge Run event took place, marking the first time in recent history that runners were allowed to cross the bridge (which was closed to traffic).