As of 9am this morning, the Escape Bridge connecting the Hummocks to Island Park in Portsmouth was once again open to all traffic, after three years of weight restrictions and a 10-month, $2M rebuild by the RI Dept. of Transportation (RIDOT). When this reporter drove by at just after 9, there were two workers from Cardi finishing up some work on the northern walkway, but cars and pedestrians were already taking advantage of the span.

This is the place in the story where I would normally thank RIDOT for making this happen -- and I would have, had it not been for this line in yesterday's RIDOT press release:

Through a $2 million contract with Cardi Corporation, RIDOT replaced the superstructure of the 51-year-old bridge, one of two access points that serve as evacuation routes for the Island Park area.

One of two evacuation routes?

Would RIDOT be considering Park Avenue and Boyd's Lane (which is the only other egress from the Park) an evacuation route? Have they seen this video from Irene? It's as if they couldn't issue one final press release without continuing to advance the notion (inherent in their persistence in calling this the "Cove" bridge) that this was somehow not the only way out of Island Park.

I did ask RIDOT spokesman Charles St. Martin about that other evacuation route, but he had not responded to my e-mail by press time. I'll update when he replies.

Update: Charles E. St. Martin III, RIDOT Chief of Information and Public Relations confirms that Boyd's lane is the evacuation route described in their press release:

"Park Ave to Boyd's Lane is an evacuation route. You should inquire with the local police and/or RIEMA about when an evacuation order might be given prior to a hurricane and any tidal surge and flooding that would come with it."

Okay, fine. Whatever you say. Here's a look at Park Ave during Irene.

I stand by my contention that there's only ONE way out of the Park.

Portsmouth's Escape Bridge will finally reopen at 9am tomorrow after a 10-month rehab, according to a press release from the RI Dept. of Transportation. Here's the blurb:

Through a $2 million contract with Cardi Corporation, RIDOT replaced the superstructure of the 51-year-old bridge, one of two access points that serve as evacuation routes for the Island Park area. Built in 1961, the bridge primarily serves local traffic and has an average daily traffic count of 2,100 vehicles per day.

The recently completed work allows RIDOT to lift all weight restrictions on the bridge. The structure's weight limit was lowered to four tons in 2009 because of its deteriorating condition.

Editorial note: Written from a press release.

The Escape Bridge opening date has slipped again, this time to "mid-September" according to the latest "Community Update" from the RI Dept. of Transportation (RIDOT).

I've begun to understand why they didn't want to put the completion date on these press releases.

Full disclosure: I live in the evacuation area that needs this bridge.

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.

Rep. Jay Edwards (D-70), whose district includes the area of Island Park affected by the closure of the Escape Bridge, has reached out to RI Dept. of Transportation (RI DOT) Director Michael Lewis for clarification on the status of this critical evacuation route, he told harddeadlines this afternoon.

In an e-mail, Edwards said that the statement published here from RIDOT's public information officer contradicted assurances he had been given by Lewis.

"That is not what Director Lewis told me on July 24. In fact, he was quite clear about it, that all they had to do was remove the Jersey barriers," Edwards said.

Edwards said he will be speaking to Lewis within the next day. "This bridge has been one of my top concerns since I was first elected," he said.

Full disclosure: I am a supporter of Jay Edwards.

The RI Dept. of Transportation confirmed this afternoon that Portsmouth's Escape Bridge is currently unusable, according to an e-mail from Chief of Information and Public Relations Charles St. Martin.

After posting the update this morning about the delay of the opening to the first week of September, I received a communication that the bridge was in fact ready to use but RIDOT was not advertising this fact. Since I had heard a similar reassurance from another public official, I reached out directly to RIDOT.

Here's what St. Martin said: "That is incorrect. The bridge in its current condition cannot be used for traffic. Should a tropical system begin an approach to Southern New England and flooding is a concern, we would take steps to prepare it for temporary use."

That statement sounds carefully couched to stop short of actually promising it would be usable. He concluded with the usual reassuring boilerplate:

"The Department will work closely with the Town of Portsmouth to make sure emergency access/egress is available for Island Park."

Full disclosure: To the two public officials who tried to reassure me: If your mother says she loves you, check it out.

Completion of repairs to the Portsmouth Escape Bridge, the only egress for hundreds of Island Park families in the event of a hurricane, has now slipped to "the first week of September," according to the latest RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Community Update.

Just two weeks ago, they were predicting the bridge would be done by the end of the month. Guess I was right about the jaunty italic font.

Full disclosure: In the event of flooding, my neighbors and I would be trapped so, yes, this is personal.

In theeir latest "Community Update," the RI Dept. of Transportation (RIDOT) announced the next phase of work on Portsmouth's Escape Bridge (installing the north approach slab and pouring the sidewalk) and said that completion is "expected" within this month. That's, uh, three weeks from now.

Nothing inspires confidence like a jaunty italic font.

Full disclosure: I live in the evacuation zone in Island Park, and until they open this thing, my neighbors and I have no escape route in a flood situation.

The estimated date for re-opening Portsmouth's Escape Bridge is now late August, according to RIDOT's Chief of Information and Public Relations, Charles E. St. Martin III. In an e-mail exchange today, St. Martin blamed the slippage on unexpected decay in the structure, which serves as an evacuation route from the coastal area of Island Park.

"During work on this project, we encountered more deterioration that was difficult to ascertain before demolition," said St. Martin. "The additional concrete repairs are needed to ensure the successful repair of the bridge and to assure its longevity."

When asked why this delay had not been included in the most recent "community update" from RIDOT, St. Martin said only, "We will look into incorporating this type of information."

I had heard about this from a resident who spoke to RIDOT Director Michael Lewis by phone last Thursday. Pressed on why Lewis had privately communicated the date to a resident last week, St. Martin said, "Director Lewis was responding to a direct inquiry."

So here's the picture, fellow citizens of Portsmouth. If you can get Director Lewis to take your calls, you can find out what's going on. If not, you'll have to live with the less-than-useful information they've been handing out — and which I've been running — in their updates.

Does anybody else find this unacceptable?

How about their promise to try to accelerate the schedule. St. Martin said,"We will work with the contractor to accelerate the remaining work to see if it can be reopened prior to late August. We also will work with the community regarding any evacuations that might be needed due to tropical storms that might impact our area."

If you're worried, you might be comforted by St. Martin's observations about about our modern world. "Please keep in mind that weather forecasting is far more sophisticated now than it was in 1961 when the bridge was built, with much more advance notice given to coastal residents when storm surges are possible."

I guess Mr. St. Martin is unaware of how totally effed up Portsmouth's response was to the storm surge for Irene.

Full disclosure: I live in the evacuation zone of Island Park.

Yesterday, the RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) issued another community update on the Escape Bridge work in Portsmouth, and for the period of March 5-16, the demolition of existing superstructure will continue, with "repairs to structural concrete masonry with patching mortar for piers, columns, pier caps and abutment beam sets."

Editorial note: Written from a press release.