Open Road E-ZPass Lanes Reopen on Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge 5 Days Early

NEWPORT, RI—The commute over the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge is about to get a bit smoother after the first phase of a tolling system upgrade project was completed five days ahead of schedule.

The open road tolling lane that allows drivers to pass under a toll gantry at 40 mph without stopping was closed earlier on March 28.

At the time, the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority said the lane would be closed for two weeks and reopen on April 13, but on Friday, the authority said that favorable weather helped speed up the project.

The project, which resulted in the installation of new hardware and digital equipment "in order to modernize the Newport Pell Bridge's tolling apparatus," is part of a two-phase toll plaza reconstruction effort.

The second phase, beginning today, entails the replacement of the toll plaza's concrete roadway "which will require the closure of lanes in both the eastbound and westbound gated tolling lanes," the authority said in a news release on Friday afternoon.

There will always be two gated cash lanes along with the open ORT lanes to minimize delays.

The project is due to be completed on May 25, weather permitting.

The new tolling hardware just installed includes cameras, lasers, multi-protocol readers, antennas, new software, wiring, servers, "and other digital equipment that will provide more accurate reads of E-ZPass transponders and license plate images," the authority said. "The Authority’s new toll collection system will provide a more secure and efficient method for storing data, staging for future upgrades, and a more reliable system for disaster recovery in the event of a major incident or natural disaster. In addition to the new electronic equipment, RITBA will also be replacing the concrete road bed in the vicinity of the toll booths and gantries."

The RIBTA is also reminding operators of private and commercial oversized and overweight vehicles that they need a permit and approval from the authority before crossing the bridge.

"Please remember to call RITBA prior to crossing the Newport Pell Bridge as the ongoing construction may affect the timing of your transport," the authority said.