My wife asked while we were on the Bourne Bridge recently why it cost so much to cross the Newport Pell Bridge in Rhode Island, yet the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges in Massachusetts are free.

I shushed her, because Maura Healey might be listening and get us on the way back.

When my son visited us from Virginia in August, we took him to Jamestown for a lobster lunch at JB's on the Water, a nice place with several patios overlooking the bay and the Newport Pell Bridge, more formally known as the Claiborne Pell/Newport Bridge, named after the late U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell.

Rhode Island Charges This Much To Cross The Newport Pell Bridge
Barry Richard/Townsquare Media
loading...

Jamestown is a quaint little town with a dark history tied directly to the slave trade. It's worth reading about. Just up the road are the historic Beavertail Lighthouse Museum and State Park. Definitely worth a visit.

WBSM-AM/AM 1420 logo
Get our free mobile app

The Newport Pell Bridge opened in June 1969. The span connects Newport on Aquidneck Island to Jamestown on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay.

The bridge is quite picturesque, especially at sunset. It is also unnecessarily expensive to cross.

Rhode Island Charges This Much To Cross The Newport Pell Bridge
Courtesy Aerial New England
loading...

I knew there was a toll when we crossed the bridge, but I was unaware of how much it was because when we had gone that way in the past, my wife was driving. It didn't matter, as we were crossing anyway.

A month later, I got a bill from the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority for $12. Non-residents pay $6 each way ($3 per axle). With an E-Z Pass, it's only $2 per axle. That's steep, no?

I knew Senator Pell. I'm not sure he'd approve.

Not-So-Rave Reviews for Fall River's Braga Bridge

Love it or hate, most drivers on the SouthCoast use it several times a week. Now some of them have taken to Google to review their experience on Fall River's Braga Bridge.

Hilarious Google Reviews of the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge

We've all been there. You think you've made it with a couple of minutes to spare, only to get caught at the red light as the bridge closes. Some of us turn around. Others wait. What most of us don't do, however, is take our anger to the internet — but apparently, several people have, and the results are both hilarious and relatable.

With an average rating of two stars on Google, our love-to-hate-it SouthCoast landmark proves that it's at least slow enough for those stuck waiting to grab their phones and pour out their feelings online. From glowing to glowering, here's what people have to say about the New Bedford-Fairhaven bridge.

When the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge Is Closed, Here's How to Pass the Time

The New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge closes. A lot. Here's how to pass the time when you didn't check the schedule and find yourself stuck waiting for the bridge to open. These fun suggestions come from our Facebook friends and appear exactly as they submitted them.

More From WBSM-AM/AM 1420