Editor’s note. This article has been updated. It now includes comments from First Selectman Kevin Christie.
By Ken Valenti
WESTPORT–A Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesman stressed today that the agency has made no decision whether to rehabilitate or replace the historic William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge, days after issuing a call for engineers to design the project.
“Given the complexities of performing work on this historic structure, it was important to have firms lined up for either potential option to ensure construction schedules are met,” DOT spokesman Josh Morgan wrote in an email to the Westport Journal.
The agency issued the Request for Letters-of-Interest seeking an engineering firm that can address the bridge’s “structural and functional deficiencies” and to “provide a structure that accommodates safe vehicular, bicycle, pedestrian, and Marine travel.” Interested firms must respond by March 5. The DOT also has scheduled a public hearing on the project for 6 p.m. March 19 in Westport Town Hall.
Residents have complained that the state has not engaged the public sufficiently in the discussions of the historic steel truss bridge that carries Bridge Street (Connecticut Route 136) over the Saugatuck River.
Matthew Mandell, a member of RTM District 1, which includes the bridge, said residents were surprised that the DOT issued the call for engineers before completing environmental and historic preservation studies now under way.
“What we’re looking for is greater collaboration with the DOT,” he said. “We were expecting them to sit down with us in February so we could figure out how we can move this process forward with everybody’s thoughts in mind.”
He said he hopes more information will become available in time for a public meeting that RTM Districts 1, 4 and 9 – those closest to the bridge – plan to hold to discuss what the communities want to happen with the span.
First Selectman Kevin Christie noted that in a Dec. 19, 2025 meeting, the DOT “committed to providing broad public notice for future meetings.” The agency has now announced its March 19 hearing – amplified by the Town with a press release – more than a month in advance.
“My focus remains on safety, traffic, and fiscal responsibility,” Christie said in an email. “The bridge, regardless of the ultimate alternative, must remain safe and functional throughout this process. That reality requires urgency, as the bridge is more than 140
years old. Addressing through truck traffic over the bridge and along Bridge Street is a shared priority across the community. Fiscal responsibility means pursuing external funding so Westport taxpayers are not bearing the burden.”
Morgan urged those who are interested to attend.
Morgan said the agency has alerted people to the March hearing with a flyer well in advance so that residents can mark their calendars.
“We encourage residents, businesses, and those interested in the future of the Cribari Bridge to attend the public hearing, ask questions, and give feedback.”
Built in 1884, the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More than a decade ago, the DOT flagged the span as “severely deficient.” The agency estimated that replacing it would cost between $78 million and $80 million.
Ken Valenti
A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.
On May 15, 2025 CTDOT announced its decision to replace the Cribari Bridge. CTDOT’s safety assessment of the current bridge with ordinary maintenance is clear—at least 15 years.
Why—in Westport Journal’s “Libations and Legislators” forum—Representative Steinberg would declare the most deceptive and underhanded disinformation tactics—-CTDOT failed to inform elected representatives of meetings—“ transparent”, is mind boggling. Why Representative Maher would sow seeds to inspire fear of its collapse, is unclear and verging on the hysterical. CTDOT’s verbal waffling is deceptive and should be judged as prevarication. Maybe too many libations sent our state reps over the edge.
Judge CTDOT on its record soberly and demand action accordingly…
•CTDOT clear cut the protective boundaries surrounding their massive construction site on the Post Road/Thruway connector.
•CTDOT’s questionable contract awards resulted in long and dangerous delays in the Post Road project at the Hillspoint intersection.
•CTDOT’s malfeasance caused a severe injury to a Westport child on Bridge St. resulting in a nine million dollar settlement
•CTDOT’s main objective in replacing the Cribari Bridge is to allow all vehicular traffic that can use I-95 passage on the bridge… 18 wheelers, hazardous waste trucks, no limits.
•With regard to the Cribari Bridge Project, CTDOT has failed to follow federal regulations stipulating that public hearings on historical significance and environmental impact precede all decision making.
Westporters should demand their rights to safety, health, traffic management, and a say in the planning of the future of the Cribari bridge from local , state, and federal representatives.
Write your elected officials, sign the petition requesting federal oversight if you think Westport ought to hit the brake on CTDOT’s plan to run 18 wheelers down the residential streets of Westport.
https://c.org/xM7ZPdyV82
Don’t drink and drive.