Jamestown Bridge Old Jamestown Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Jamestown Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 41°31′42.14″N 71°24′11.34″W / 41.5283722°N 71.4031500°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  Route 138 |
| Crosses | West passage of Narragansett Bay |
| Locale | North Kingstown and Jamestown, Rhode Island |
| Official name | Jamestown Bridge |
| Maintained by | Jamestown Bridge Commission (1940–1969) Rhode Island Department of Transportation (1969–1992) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever truss |
| Total length | 6,892 feet (2,101 m) |
| Width | 22 feet (6.7 m) |
| Height | 235 feet (72 m) |
| Longest span | 640 feet (200 m) |
| Clearance below | 135 feet (41 m) |
| History | |
| Construction start | January 1939 |
| Construction end | July 1940 |
| Opened | July 27, 1940 |
| Closed | October 8, 1992 (demolished on April 18, 2006) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | $0.25 (originally $0.90) (collected 1940–1969) |
| Location | |
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The Jamestown Bridge (usually referred to as the Old Jamestown Bridge to avoid confusion with its replacement, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge) was a cantilever truss bridge that connected Conanicut Island to mainland North Kingstown, Rhode Island, spanning the West passage of Narragansett Bay. The bridge first opened to traffic in 1940, replacing ferry service as the primary connection for the town of Jamestown, situated on Conanicut Island. It was constructed for just over $3 million 1940 USD, which was paid for by tolls until June 28, 1969. With a total length of 6,892 feet (2,100 m), the Jamestown Bridge was the third longest in Rhode Island at the time of its destruction, ranking behind its replacement, the adjacent 7,350-foot (2,240 m) Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, and the 11,248-foot (3,428 m) Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge connecting Conanicut Island to Aquidneck Island and Newport. The Jamestown Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic on October 8, 1992, and its main span was destroyed through a controlled demolition on April 18, 2006.