Newport Cliff Walk Repairs Begin July 5

NEWPORT, RI—Repairs to a portion of the Newport Cliff Walk will begin on July 5 to fix damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and add safety upgrades.

The famed Cliff Walk will remain open during construction but pedestrians will encounter a detour onto local streets with signage between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street.

Bathrooms at 40 Steps and metered parking long Narragansett Avenue will stay open during the project.

In a later phase, pedestrians will be detoured around The Breakers Mansion between Shepherd and Ruggles Avenues.

The City Council voted unanimously to award the construction work contract to New England Building and Bridge Company, of Greenville, one of three bidders who responded to bid request this past winter.

The cost of the project was not to exceed $1.03 million according to an April 25 memo to City Council members. More than half is being covered by a grant administered by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission funded by the National Park Service's Hurricane Sandy relief fund.

Newport is contributing about $450,000 of capital funds for the project.

The 3.5 mile Cliff Walk, which offers majestic views of the ocean on one side and Gilded Age mansions on the other, was seriously damaged during Superstorm Sandy and large sections were closed to the public for more than a year. The final closed segment reopened in July, 2014.