Silver Bridge, which spans the Lake Zoar section of the Housatonic River, linking Glen Road in Sandy Hook to River Road Southbury, is scheduled to be completely closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic for seven calendar days, starting on or about Monday, April, 18, according to the state Department of Transportation (DOT).

Detours will be posted in the area indicating to motorists that Interstate 84 should be used as an alternate route while Silver Bridge is closed to traffic. Exit 10 and Exit 13 would be used as access points to I-84 for the detour.

The traffic signs that will direct motorists to the detour have been erected but are shrouded. The signs will be uncovered when the detour is in effect (see Glen Road Bridge detour map, below).

Temporary traffic signals that are positioned at both ends of Silver Bridge create alternating eastbound/westbound traffic flow on the span. That allows renovation work to occur on the side of the bridge not being used for a travel lane.

The 308-foot-long bridge, which was built in 1936, is in the midst of an ongoing $4.47 million renovation project. Last year, workers cleaned, repaired, and repainted the intricate trusswork on the truss-arch bridge, changing its color from dark brown to light gray.

Although it is not posted with route markers, Silver Bridge carries State Route 816.

The scheduled seven-day bridge closure will allow work crews to perform bridge deck resurfacing using latex-modified concrete, according to DOT.

Currently, the bridge has an asphalt road surface atop its concrete deck. After the bridge deck resurfacing is completed, motorists will travel on a concrete surface on the bridge, DOT Project Engineer James Zaharevich said April 6.

The resurfacing is planned to eliminate ponding problems that have occurred on the roadway.

Mr Zaharevich said he does not expect it would take more than one week to make the necessary bridge repairs that require the bridge's closure.

If necessary, the construction firm doing the bridge would work extended hours, including nights and weekends, in order to complete the deck resurfacing job within seven days.

Silver Bridge is about 6,000 feet upriver of the I-84's Rochambeau Bridge over the Housatonic. Silver Bridge carries an estimated 3,100 vehicles daily.

Mr Zaharevich estimated that the Silver Bridge improvement project would be completed by late July or early August.

The DOT last made major improvements on Silver Bridge in 1986. Silver Bridge is listed on the Connecticut Historic Bridge Inventory and is eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places.

McNamee Construction Corp of Lincolndale, N.Y., is doing the bridge renovation project for the DOT.

Glen Road bridge detour map