PORTSMOUTH — Vehicles over 10 tons are restricted from crossing the Hummocks Escape Bridge as of Thursday, May 15. The new weight limit means that tractor-trailers, emergency vehicles and school buses will need to seek a different route.

The R.I. Department of Transportation announced that a recent inspection of the bridge on Point Road that connects Island Park to Common Fence Point found that its concrete beams have deteriorated. A DOT crew was inspecting the bridge Thursday morning.

Signs posting the new weight restriction went up on Thursday at about noon, on what the DOT calls the Cove Bridge — but which everyone else calls the Escape Bridge. Since it is a state bridge and state road, enforcing the weight limit will fall primarily on state police, who may be assisted by Portsmouth police as needed.

Passenger vehicles, including cars, pick-up trucks, SUVs and vans, are allowed to drive over the bridge. DOT says the bridge, which was built in 1961, has an average of 2,100 vehicles cross it each day.

DOT spokeswoman Heidi Cote said the weight limit was imposed to "try to prolong its service life until we can make repairs."

However, no funding has been allocated by DOT to fix the bridge, Ms. Cote said. And, Ms. Cote added, DOT is very tight on funding right now.

"We don't have any immediate plans to repair the bridge," Ms. Cote said. She said DOT will analyze the scope of work that is necessary and determine whether some repairs can be made in the interim as DOT works to get funds for whatever is needed: repairs, a full rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge.

The school department was notified of the new weight restriction late Wednesday night, said Assistant Superintendent Colleen Jermain. Students whose route includes crossing the escape bridge were informed that they will be taken to school by an alternate route and that some student pick-up areas have been relocated.

Less than ten students are picked up from that area, but about six school buses of kindergarten, high, middle, elementary and parochial school students use the bridge as a normal route.

Donna Medeiros, of First Student (formerly Laidlaw) school buses, said she is working on a plan now to reroute buses. A school bus heading north on Park Avenue will stop at 15 Point Road Restaurant and turn to head south on Park Avenue, meet up with Boyds Lane and turn north on East Main Road to take Anthony Road to get into Common Fence Point.

"It's added some time to bus routes," Ms. Medeiros said. But she believes that students will still get to their destinations on time.

Ms. Jermain said the new route may inconvenience some families, but the school department wants to ensure that students are provided safe transportation.

Ms. Cote, DOT spokeswoman, said she does not know how long the weight limit will be in place. She said that more frequent inspections of the bridge will occur. As an alternate route into the Island Park business district, DOT suggests using Exit 2 off of Route 24 to Boyds Lane.

By Jill Rodrigues

jrodrigues@eastbaynewspapers.com