(WJAR) — The colorful decorative lights on the Sakonnet River Bridge are malfunctioning, and the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority says the aging system is difficult to repair because replacement parts are no longer available.
The bridge, which connects Portsmouth and Tiverton, still has regular streetlights illuminating the roadway after dark. But its decorative lighting display, which can be changed to recognize special causes and celebrations, remains out of service.
“We enjoyed looking at that,” said Charlie Smith, a Tiverton resident, describing how locals would watch the lights change colors.
John Vitkevi, a longtime Portsmouth resident, recalled the display’s pulsating effect, when all the lights illuminated simultaneously…