Jamestown Bridge
Jamestown Bridge Old Jamestown Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 41°31′42.14″N 71°24′11.34″W / 41.5283722°N 71.4031500°W |
Carries | 2 lanes of Route 138 |
Crosses | West passage of Narragansett Bay |
Locale | North Kingstown and Jamestown, Rhode Island |
Official name | Jamestown Bridge |
Maintained by | Jamestown Bridge Commission (1940–1969) Rhode Island Department of Transportation (1969–1992) |
Characteristics | |
Design | Cantilever truss |
Total length | 6,892 feet (2,101 m) |
Width | 22 feet (6.7 m) |
Height | 235 feet (72 m) |
Longest span | 640 feet (200 m) |
Clearance below | 135 feet (41 m) |
History | |
Construction start | January 1939 |
Construction end | July 1940 |
Opened | July 27, 1940 |
Closed | October 8, 1992 (demolished on April 18, 2006) |
Statistics | |
Toll | $0.25 (originally $0.90) (collected 1940–1969) |
Location | |
The Jamestown Bridge (usually referred to as the Old Jamestown Bridge to avoid confusion with its replacement, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge) was a cantilever truss bridge that connected Conanicut Island to mainland North Kingstown, Rhode Island, spanning the West passage of Narragansett Bay. The bridge first opened to traffic in 1940, replacing ferry service as the primary connection for the town of Jamestown, situated on Conanicut Island. It was constructed for just over $3 million 1940 USD, which was paid for by tolls until June 28, 1969. With a total length of 6,892 feet (2,100 m), the Jamestown Bridge was the third longest in Rhode Island at the time of its destruction, ranking behind its replacement, the adjacent 7,350-foot (2,240 m) Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, and the 11,248-foot (3,428 m) Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge connecting Conanicut Island to Aquidneck Island and Newport. The Jamestown Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on October 8, 1992, and its main span was destroyed through a controlled demolition on April 18, 2006.
History
Navigating around
The bridge was designed by Parsons, Klapp, Brinckerhoff and Douglass and called for a 6,982-foot-long (2,128 m) bridge with 69 spans with a total cost of $3 million. The bridge was delayed by two months, but was completed for better than $100,000 under budget. A crew of nearly 200 constructed the bridge and the work was completed without a single fatality. This claim however is contested as a fatality took place during the construction of the coffer dams on September 18, 1939.[2] On July 27, 1940, the bridge opened for traffic and a 90 cent toll was charged on the North Kingstown side. The toll would later be reduced to 35 cents and 25 cents before being removed in 1969, following the completion of the Newport (Pell) Bridge.[1] A formal dedication of the bridge commenced on the weekend of August 2 through August 4, 1940, with a military marine parade on the final day.[3]
Structure
The bridge consisted of 69 spans with a large continuous
Service
The bridge is reported to have inspired fear in motorists because of its open grates, which allowed the motorists to peer down into the Narragansett Bay about 150 feet (46 m) below, and because the bridge would shake in high winds.[4] Head-on collisions on the 22-foot-wide (6.7 m) undivided bridge were reported to be common, and the steel grid pavement was noted as "treacherous" when wet.[5]
Demolition
The
References
- ^ a b c d "Jamestown-Verrazano Bridge: Historic Overview". BostonRoads.com. Eastern Roads. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ "First Fatality Occurs At Jamestown Bridge Site". The Day. September 19, 1939. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ "Gala Program Set For Dedication Of Jamestown Bridge". The Day. July 24, 1940. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ AP (April 18, 2006). "Old Jamestown Bridge To Be Destroyed". Sun Journal. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ "Big's not better. Planners draw monstrosity for new Jamestown bridge". The Day. November 6, 1981. Retrieved 5 May 2014.