Cliff Walk Newport R.I.

BY RICHARD SALIT
Journal Staff Writer
rsalit@providencejournal.com

NEWPORT, R.I. — Cliff Walk, touted as the state’s most popular tourist destination, is nearing the end of a repeatedly delayed $5.2-million project to repair damage from superstorm Sandy in 2012. It’s expected to be completed in July.
On Tuesday, city and state officials gathered where the walk begins on Memorial Boulevard for the ceremonial unveiling of a plaque to pay tribute to those who supported the Department of Transportation project.
Sandy damaged the southernmost portion of the 3.5-mile walk, which runs alongside the cliffs of Easton Bay and the iconic mansions of Bellevue Avenue. It’s a National Recreational Trail in a National Historic District.
The project involved removing destroyed sections of sidewalks, filling voids and pouring new concrete sidewalks. The $3.2-million original contract with John Rocchio Corp., based in Smithfield, increased by an additional $2 million to cover the repair of a wall near Rough Point, the estate of the late Doris Duke, and install a stone wall on the edge of the Miramar mansion property, according to DOT spokeswoman Rose Amoros.
The work is being financed with federal Sandy relief, with a 20-percent state match.
The section of the walk from Bailey’s Beach to Ledge Road reopened in the fall. A stretch north from Marine Avenue to Ruggles Avenue opened Saturday. The final portion, near Miramar, is scheduled to reopen in July, Amoros said.
State officials had hoped for all of the work to be completed by Memorial Day for the peak tourist season. But they encountered unexpected construction delays. Prior to that, the project was pushed back to revise original engineering plans after surfers complained about temporary, and potentially permanent, changes to the renowned point break at Ruggles.
Another problem surfaced during Tuesday’s ceremony: the plaque — which honored members of the state’s congressional delegation, Newport representatives in the General Assembly and the City Council — misspelled Governor Chafee’s name. A second “f” was added.
The plaque, produced for the city’s Cliff Walk Commission by Rocchio and dedicated to “the vision and support of those committed to the preservation of this historic resource,” will be removed Wednesday, said Amoros. A new one will be made and installed, probably in July, she said.