2024 Point Association News
The Future of the Van Zandt Bridge: Neighborhood Questions Answered
December 9, 2024
Due to the heavy railway usage in Newport at the turn of the twentieth century, the Van
Zandt overpass was first constructed in 1911. It was replaced during the Great
Depression in 1932, nearly 100 years later, it is currently obsolete, in disrepair and no
longer required.
Recent inspections (2023) determined the bridge was in fair condition, with significant
spalling and cracking and is “somewhat better than minimum adequacy to tolerate being
left in place”. In considering the current condition of the bridge, public safety and long-
term costs, the city has determined the best path forward is to remove the bridge
completely and replace it with a lower road like Poplar and Elm streets.
On December 9 th I had the opportunity to discuss the future of the bridge with City
Manager Colin Kennedy, Bill Riccio Director of Public Services, and Bill Boardman City
Engineer to better understand the decision to remove, the process and timeline. My
synopsis of the meeting follows:
Relative to the bridge’s historic significance, while the bridge is nearly 100 years old, it
is not included in the historic district nominating papers, nor does it fall within the
purview of the HDC. Due to the severe decaying of the concrete structure any
character defining features are either gone or would require significate structural
reinforcement.
Had the city elected to “kick the can” and do nothing at this time, they would have been
forced to limit the weight to passenger vehicles only. Fire trucks and emergency service
trucks by law are not allowed to exceed weight limitations, therefore increasing
response times and potentially risking lives.
The life-cycle cost of reinforcement, restoration and fifty years of maintenance would far
outweigh the $12M budget to replace the bridge with a surface road. The bridge
removal would also provide another access point to the new bike path.
The project itself is relatively easy except for an electrical feeder line that is currently
installed under the bridge requires rerouting. From a timing perspective, there are still
several steps in the process. Once funding is available the design, bidding and
procurement needs to take place prior to any work commencing. The expectation is
that the project would begin in approximately 3-5 years.
Jim Madson
City Liaison, The Point Association