RIDOT Director Lewis contradicts spokesman, says Escape Bridge usable

According to Rep. Jay Edwards (D-70), RI Dept. of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Michael Lewis re-affirmed today that Portsmouth's Escape Bridge is currently ready to use if needed for an evacuation.

In an e-mail this evening, Edwards said, "I spoke to Director Lewis today, and he stands by his previous comments that the bridge could be used in the event of a storm right now by removing the Jersey barriers. He also said he had spoken to their information person and told them to correct the information that you were given."

That information person would be Charles E. St. Martin III, RIDOT Chief of Information and Public Relations, who told me yesterday, "The bridge in its current condition cannot be used for traffic."

All I care about is having a way out of Island Park if one of these tropical systems rattling around in the Caribbean decides to pay us a visit. If the bridge is usable in an emergency, great.

But sheesh, it would give me more confidence if RIDOT could get their story straight.