Extra Open Road Toll Lanes Coming To Newport Bridge This Week

NEWPORT, RI — More changes are coming to the Newport Pell Bridge tolling plaza.

Starting Thursday, there will be two open road tolling lanes in each direction. The outermost gated tolling lanes will close in each direction as part of ongoing construction, the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority said.

"We are pleased that the transition to all-electronic tolling is complete and we are able to increase
the number of open-road tolling lanes available to motorists," said Lori Caron Silveira, the executive director of the RITBA. "The formerly gated, outside lanes will be closed in each direction as construction continues, so we ask that motorists carefully follow the signage as they move through the toll plaza area."

The transition to all-electronic tolling on the bridge was completed Oct. 29.

Under the new system, cash and credit tolls will no longer be accepted. Instead, drivers without a mounted E-ZPass will receive a bill in the mail, sent to the address registered to the license plate. From now through Nov. 30, toll rates will be the same as before: $2 per axle, or $4 for passenger vehicles. After that, toll rates for drivers without an E-ZPass will rise to $3 per axle, or $6 for passenger vehicles.

Qualifying E-ZPass users will still be billed at the discounted rate.

The transition to all-electronic tolling started Wednesday and was finished Thursday night, when the last cash toll was collected at 11 p.m.The transition to all-electronic has been a while coming. The department announced the formal change in July, and ran a four-week pilot program back in February.

"Close to 90 percent" of customers are already using EZPass transponders, Silveira said.

"As we modernize and streamline our operations, it makes sense to deploy technology and use our resources where they are needed most," she continued.

Drivers can register for an EZPass transponder online.