Newport, R.I. — A long-stalled Cliff Walk reconstruction project moved ahead this week after Rhode Island coastal regulators signed off on the city repair plan Tuesday.
Mayor Charlie Holder, who also chairs the City Council, said the Coastal Resources Management Council action is not the final permit but is a pivotal one. City staff want remaining approvals finished and construction bids solicited before December, then a 2027 groundbreaking and roughly two years of work wrapping in 2029.
The closed gap sits on the path between Narragansett Avenue and Webster Street, where a 2022 collapse still forces walkers onto a detour through the Salve Regina University campus. Fencing remains up while engineers and property owners line up the rebuild.
Tourism officials say the attraction still draws heavy foot traffic. Cassandra Earle of Discover Newport put annual Cliff Walk visits above one million and said the multi-year detour has not dented overall activity along the route.
Holder said Newport is working with adjoining private owners under a shared partnership model. A bridge spanning the easement also needed clarity so the structure is treated as part of the Cliff Walk for upkeep and public safety obligations.
City cost figures put the project near $23 million, including about $11 million in federal dollars Newport public works secured last summer. With the CRMC vote complete, Holder said other outstanding permits can proceed so a bid package can go out.
The Coastal Resources Management Council oversees preservation, protection and permitting for work in the state coastal zone. Agency materials also highlight coastal access and resilience work tied to the Cliff Walk, underscoring why the Tuesday decision mattered for reopening the fenced segment.
Until construction starts, the Narragansett-to-Webster stretch stays closed. Local officials describe the next milestones as finishing permits, advertising bids by year-end and holding a 2027 start date aimed at finishing the rebuild in 2029.
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