WESTPORT — The 141-year-old Cribari Bridge, carrying Route 136 (Bridge Street) over the Saugatuck River, reopened to traffic Monday night after being closed to traffic for about five hours.
Police said traffic began flowing over the historic swing span again in a statement issued about 8:30 p.m. Monday.
The problem occurred about 3 p.m. when the bridge opened to allow a vessel to pass through and became stuck.
Subsequent efforts to repair the problem, once the bridge was closed, led to another issue “preventing the re-opening of the bridge to vehicular traffic,” according to a police statement issued at 5:30 p.m.
At the time, it was unclear how long the bridge would remain closed to traffic while repairs were ongoing.
In response, officers were deployed to direct traffic through busy Saugatuck intersections during the afternoon commute.
Congratulations and thanks to the hard working CTDOT bridge workers who braved winter weather to get us back onto the Cribari Bridge. I have had to wait longer to get a furnace repaired. And the last appliance repair took weeks.
NB: The CTDOT workers had to get the swing mechanism which is modern and part of the structurally sound roadway working.
The historically significant superstructure of the National Historic Landmark needs aesthetic and authentic repair. CTDOT has refused to respect the Landmark status by neglecting historic restoration. That is why the bridge looks rusty and battered. However it is not load bearing and therefore not dangerous.
Why our local and state politicians (Representative Steinberg and Johnson, Senator Maher) have allowed such tawdry neglect and arrogant disrespect to our town and honored citizen for whom the bridge is named is unclear.
We have faced down decades of unacceptable Robert Moses era, build-it-and-the-trucks-will-come plans to turn Greens Farms Road and Bridge Street into a polluted, noxious, noisy corridor,,, running through the heart of residential Westport. The wipeout of the Norwalk bridge over i-95 and subsequent months of I-95 traffic backup and overflow onto our local roads made the danger of allowing heavy truck traffic by replacing the Cribari Bridge crystal clear
A special thanks to Hansen Marine mechanic Paul Olson who was onboard the passing vessel yesterday. Despite a severe winter storm, Paul returned with his heavy duty tools to assisted the maintenance crew to make urgent bridge repairs as soon as possible.