By Andy Brophy

WESTPORT–Town officials are exploring whether a temporary pre-fabricated bridge could be installed over the Jesup Road bridge that was severely damaged in the Sept. 13 storm.

Larry Roberts, director of the town’s Public Works Department, said Tuesday night to three Representative Town Meeting committees that a temporary bridge had been installed in Oxford and Seymour, but one challenge to doing that for the Jesup Road bridge is its location – Imperial Avenue, he said, is only 15 feet away.

A temporary bridge would have to go up and over the damaged bridge and not much space existed to do that, Roberts said.

But he said after the meeting that the idea had not been ruled out. “It is still on the table,” he said.. “We have met with a company that can provide a temporary bridge structure. They did the same in Oxford after the storms there in August of 2024. Once we get cost estimates, we’ll be able to make an educated decision.”

Meanwhile, town officials on Wednesday are soliciting RFPs (requests for proposals) from engineering firms to design a new bridge. Interested firms would have three weeks to inspect the site and the town would “place an emphasis on engineering firms who have the bandwidth to take on the project,” Roberts said.

The three RTM committees who met in a Zoom meeting – Transit, Finance and Public Works – voted a total of 19-0 to approve $172,500 for the initial design and permitting of a new Jesup Road bridge, as well as for an environmental investigation of the site. The votes were conditioned on the town’s Board of Finance approving the funding, and that board is scheduled to vote on the funding request, which includes a 15-percent contingency, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7 in Town Hall.

But the $172,500 is not the full amount needed for the design and permitting of a new bridge. It would fund about 60 percent of the work required, Roberts said. “The bridge serves an important function for downtown traffic flow. We would like to get started quickly,” he said.

The new bridge would have to be wider than the bridge built in 1952 that was severely damaged in the Sept. 13 storm, Roberts said. “In several areas, all structural integrity for the bridge has been removed,” he said. “The bridge is damaged beyond repair.”

The damage could have been worse because Roberts said the tide was out when the Sept. 13 storm hit. “It helped but didn’t help enough,” he said.

Peter Gold, a member of the RTM’s Public Works committee, said a Jesup Road Historic District exists and that town officials should check with Historic District Commission members on the appearance of the replacement bridge.

Roberts said he wants “an appearance that fits nicely into this neighborhood.”

“I’m very sensitive to the aesthetics of the area and would not want to do anything that would clash with that,” he said.

Traffic was also discussed at Tuesday night’s meeting because the Police Department, Westport Emergency Medical Services, Westport Volunteer Emergency Medical Service and The Westport Library are all on Jesup Road, and the bridge closure affects all of them, though officers out on patrol respond to calls.

Richard Lowenstein, an RTM Transit committee member, said Bay Street, which is one-way, “has to be addressed or make it two-way.”

Roberts said town officials have been working with police to address Bay Street and Taylor Place, which is also one-way. “We’ll be making some decisions on that in the near future,” he said.

Nancy Kail, an RTM Finance committee member, said “prominent signage would be really, really helpful” in helping traffic flow downtown.

However, Chris Tait, an RTM Public Works committee member, said Roberts should be focused on the bridge and the Police Department should be focused on traffic.

The total cost of similar bridges ranged from $3 million to $3.5 million, Roberts said, though the state and federal governments are expected to cover much, if not all, of the construction cost.

Replacing the Jesup Road bridge would take place simultaneously with replacing the Greens Farms bridge over Sasco Creek, Roberts said.

Roberts previously estimated a replacement bridge on Jesup Road would take 12 to 18 months to complete. “Replacing a bridge is never a quick or easy task,” he said Tuesday.

Louis Mall, an RTM Public Works committee member, said, “Anything we can do to help expedite this, we’re more than happy to meet with you at any time.”

Andy Brophy

Andy Brophy is an experienced Fairfield County journalist. Andy was a staff writer at The Connecticut Post for 10 years. He also wrote for the Norwalk Hour, Fairfield Minuteman, Fairfield Patch and weekly newspapers in Westport, Fairfield and Norwalk. When not reporting, Andy enjoys playing chess and listening to pianist Art Tatum. ^_.