Lake Zoar Span—

Glen Road Bridge Project Likely To Start In 2014

By Andrew Gorosko

The state Department of Transportation’s (DOT) $6 million project to structurally improve the Glen Road bridge that spans the Lake Zoar section of the Housatonic River from Sandy Hook to Southbury likely will not start until the spring of 2014, about one year later than the DOT had earlier announced.

The bridge, which carries the unmarked State Route 816 across the river, is listed as structurally deficient, resulting in the span receiving a “poor” rating from the DOT, requiring that it be rehabilitated, according to David Cutler, DOT’s manager for the bridge improvement project.

The span was constructed in 1936. The DOT performed a major improvement project on the bridge in 1986. The two-lane, 308-foot-long truss-style bridge is painted a medium-brown color, with extensive patches of surface rust apparent across its steel members.

In the past, the bridge was painted a silvery color, giving rise to its nickname of “The Silver Bridge.”

The bridge is listed on the Connecticut Historic Bridge Inventory and is eligible for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. The span carries about 3,100 vehicles daily.

Mr Cutler described the DOT’s bridge improvement project at a brief June 9 DOT informational session at Newtown Municipal Center. Only three members of the public attended, possibly due to a severe thunderstorm that had just hit the area, disrupting local travel and electrical service.

The earlier-announced spring 2013 starting time for the bridge improvement project likely will be pushed back to the spring of 2014, when considering the details that must be addressed before construction work can start, Mr Cutler said.

It is expected that the bridge project will take one-and-a-half construction seasons to complete. Construction seasons typically extend from April 1 to November 30.

During the first planned construction season, extending from April through November 2014, the bridge would be closed to traffic to allow structural repairs to be made. During that period, traffic that otherwise would cross the Glen Road bridge would be detoured to the Rochambeau Bridge on Interstate 84.

Remaining work on the bridge, including its cleaning and painting, would occur during the first half of the following construction season, from April through July 2015. During that four-month period, alternating one-way traffic would be allowed on the Glen Road bridge.

Mr Cutler said that the physical deterioration of the Glen Road bridge will be corrected to prevent the span from posing travel safety issues for the public. The work will include steps to eliminate ponding that occurs on the bridge in wet weather, he said.

Mr Cutler said that the DOT will consider a request from a couple who attended the DOT session who asked that the bridge be repainted a silvery color after the structural improvements are made.

Bicycling

Bicyclist Dave Bonan of Danbury, who rode his bicycle to the DOT session, said that he uses the Glen Road bridge weekly to commute to work in Southbury. Mr Bonan said he bicycles about 7,000 miles annually.

 Mr Bonan noted that many bicyclists use the bridge on weekends. Having the bridge completely closed to traffic for an eight-month construction season would pose major negative effects on bicyclists, Mr Bonan said, noting that there are limited bridge crossings of the Housatonic River in the general area.

Mr Bonan said that bicycling is not allowed on I-84, which is the designated detour for the project.

Other vehicular bridges that cross the Housatonic River in the area are the Route 133 bridge, which links Brookfield to Bridgewater at Lake Lillinonah, and the Route 34 bridge at Stevenson Dam, which connects Monroe to Oxford at the southern end of Lake Zoar.

Mr Cutler said the DOT would consider Mr Bonan’s issues about bicycling during the period when the Glen Road bridge is closed to traffic.

The federal government would cover 80 percent of bridge project costs, with the state covering the remaining 20 percent.

People interested in reviewing the Glen Road bridge improvement plans may contact James Cavanaugh at DOT for an appointment, telephone 860-594-3209.

The bridge plans are available for review at the DOT’s Office of Engineering, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, during office hours, Mondays through Fridays, 7 am to 3 pm, excluding holidays.