A rare photo of the William F. Cribari Bridge: no traffic, in the middle of a normal weekday … (Photo/Fred Cantor)
… but there’s a good reason: one of the lift jacks was stuck. The result: a 4-inch gap between sections (Photo/Austin Brown)
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“06880” WEATHER
Enough is enough. Take the state money and replace the damn bridge already. It’s a serious accident waiting to happen.
Be careful what you wish for. 18 wheelers. Eminent domain claiming property to accommodate the need for more land. Ask any one old enough to remember when …..
They were doing maintenance, and just like so many other roads in the area, it was temporarily closed. I’d be willing to bet that the Cribari bridge is in better shape than many other bridges in the state. Lets not invite even bigger issues with a short-sighted solution predicated solely upon state funding.
Nope …..Kevin and his Amazing D.O.T crew had to abort a scheduled opening for a member for the V.F.W. , (A young veteran with a captains license who take’s disadvantaged kids on island excursions, THUMBS UP captain.
It seems the electrical motors failed so they tried to open manually which also failed thus preventing the boat and its young passengers from returning to the vfw dock. Thumbs down.
The misalignment “gap ” was the culprit for the failed manual attempt.
The electric motors were replaced after sandy to the tune of 5m. But now they are weather beaten and have had some close call flooding since sandy. ( time to spend 8m replacing ?) .
For the record NO eminent domain has been discussed and imho after personally attending many D.O.T meetings will be needed, just a temp bridge like in the 90s and that will be removed just like in the 90’s. .
Even if they just paint it and leave it be the posted height will be 13’7 after they remove the small electrical power box that is sagging and ready to fall on the roadway.
AFTER that is done and it will be done ALL legal loads of 13’6 can use the bridge….. ALL…… even the long 53′ 18 wheelers some suggest, that said I doubt they ever will travel thru Saugatuck or the narrow roads east .
Lets stick to the facts.
Robbie are you pulling numbers out of the air? Five million dollars… Really?
Ignoring the twelve Bridge Street properties that would lose their front yards to CTDOT right of way/eminent domain for the south side pedestrian/bicycle path advocated be the Coalition for Westport representative on the Public Advisory Committee and the clear plans of the architect to seize access roads and parking lots from Parker Mansion and Peters Bridge Market, Robbie is correct.
Crazy Right? , After a candid discussion with the D.O.T it was conveyed that roughly 5m (in 2011) was the cost to put the old bridge back online after the flooding from sandy . this this expense + will be a constant after every storm /flooding if the bridge mechanicals are not raised. Talk about fiscally irresponsible . Just that alone is enough to repurpose the truss and get a proper span . I keep envisioning a pedestrian bridge from save the children to the west shoreline of downtown using the old steel truss , Very cool IMHO
Werner it was very clear , NO ONE!! was in favor of a south side path. The idea came across the table but was squashed. That said id love a safe way for my three girls to ride there bikes to South Compo Rd. and on downward to the beach , also commuters could use it to access the RR station. imagine a few dozen bikes instead of a few dozen cars.