The Newport Pell Bridge is one of 68 bridges nationally being recommended by the National Transportation Safety Board for a vulnerability assessment due to a possible vessel collision.
The Pell Bridge, which links Newport and Jamestown, was built in 1969 and it spans the east passage of Narragansett Bay. It is named for the late U.S. Sen. Claiborne Pell of Newport.
The NTSB said its recommendations are prompted by the investigation into the collision that brought down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024.
In a news release, the agency said, “The NTSB found that the Key Bridge, which collapsed after being struck by the containership Dali on March 26, 2024, was almost 30 times above the acceptable risk threshold for critical or essential bridges, according to guidance established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, or AASHTO.”
The NTSB added that its report “does not suggest that the 68 bridges are certain to collapse. The NTSB is recommending that these 30 bridge owners evaluate whether the bridges are above the AASHTO acceptable level of risk. The NTSB recommended that bridge owners develop and implement a comprehensive risk reduction plan, if the calculations indicate a bridge has a risk level above the AASHTO threshold.”
The Pell Bridge is operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.
In a statement, RITBA Executive Director Lori Caron Silveira said she learned about the NTSB’s recommendation at the same time as reporters.
“Following the incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, we convened meetings, conducted outreach, and did extensive research into a similar scenario in Rhode Island waters,” she said. “We are immediately working to respond to the NTSB’s request for relevant information.”
Silveira’s statement did not elaborate on the findings of the authority’s research and outreach.
RITBA spokeswoman Cara Cromwell did not immediately respond to a request by The Public’s Radio for documents produced as part of RITBA’s examination of the Pell Bridge.
