PORTSMOUTH/BRISTOL — The Mt. Hope Bridge was dedicated and opened on Oct. 24, 1929, and the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority (RITBA) will be dressing it up for its 90th birthday.

RITBA will have red, white and blue lighting on the bridge from Thursday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 27.

The Mt. Hope Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in New England for 40 years until the Newport Pell Bridge was completed in 1969. The two-lane suspension bridge connecting the towns of Bristol and Portsmouth is 6,130 feet long, with a 1,200-long main span. The bridge towers are 285 feet tall. 

When built, the span was innovative in its design and construction and was one of the first bridges to use artistic lighting and to introduce color in bridge design.

The bridge, which carries approximately 15,000 vehicles per day, cost $4.2 million to construct. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The bridge is constantly monitored by the RITBA and regularly subject to numerous types of engineering inspections and analysis. Over the years, the bridge has undergone substantial renovations and maintenance.  

“The Mt. Hope Bridge is truly historic, critically important, and has served us well during the last 90 years,” said Buddy Croft, who recently announced his retirement as RITBA’s executive director. “It is appropriate for Rhode islanders to take a moment to reflect on this engineering marvel and to celebrate its 90th birthday,”