By Bruce Landis
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- Crowding the auditorium at Portsmouth High School, hundreds turned out Monday night to oppose the imposition of tolls on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.
Larry Fitzmorris, president of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens, said people here want to convince Governor Chafee and the General Assembly that they made a mistake last year when they approved turning the new Sakonnet River Bridge over to the state Turnpike and Bridge Authority, which plans to collect tolls in order to maintain the bridge.
The opponents said they have gathered more than 27,000 signatures in an effort to change state officials' minds.
The span, which was the scene of a crash that shut down all lanes Monday, connects Portsmouth and Tiverton.