The Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority is scheduled to attend both the Bristol and Portsmouth Town Council meetings in late August to present a briefing on the upcoming maintenance projects for the Mount Hope Bridge. 

The important maintenance projects are part of the RITBA’s recently adopted 10-year capital plan. The goal of the capital plan is to insure the safety and extend the life of the four bridges under the RITBA’s jurisdiction, which include the Newport Pell Bridge, the Mount Hope Bridge, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge and the Sakonnet River Bridge.

"Our number one priority here at RITBA is safety," said Buddy Croft, RITBA's executive director, in a prepared statement. "We maintain four bridges that sit in salt water and are critical to commercem tourism and the quality of life of the people that use them. It is extremely important that we remain vigilant, maintain and extend the life of these bridges so the motoring public knows they are safe.

"This is an expensive undertaking," Mr. Croft continued. "But these are costs we must incur."

The total cost of the 10-year plan is $223 million, or about $22 million per year. The total cost, including the bond repayment, will be funded through on-going toll revenue and RITBA's share of the gasoline tax (3.5 cents per gallon).

The work on the Mount Hope Bridge will begin in late-September. Fifty-four percent of the budget set aside for the 87-year-old Mount Hope Bridge is for steel superstructure repairs and retrofits, according to RITBA.

Another 24 percent is being allocated for bridge deck repairs in hopes of avoiding a full deck replacement. Because the bridge is a narrow, two-lane span, replacing the deck would require closing the bridge entirely for an extended period of time. Repairs should limit the traffic disruption, though delays will still be likely.

Another 20 percent of the Mount Hope budget is for main cable rehabilitation and dehumidification.

The Portsmouth Town Council meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. and the Bristol Town Council Meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.