We haven’t heard much lately about plans for renovating — or replacing — the William F. Cribari Bridge.
The span connecting Riverside Avenue and Bridge Street was completed around 1890. Which means that when this photo was taken in 1937, it was already nearly half a century old.
The image — showing the westbound lane, and posted recently to social media by Gail Comden — is fascinating.
Is that wooden structure a tollbooth? Or perhaps a guard shack, housing people who regulated the one-way traffic?
Was traffic always one-way? When did that begin and end?
If any Westporters remember those “Bridge Street Bridge” days (it was not named for famed traffic cop Bill Cribari for another half century or so), click “Comments” below.
(“06880” has covered the Cribari Bridge saga — and plenty of other controversies — since we began publishing in 2009. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Bill was a unique person with extraordinary patience and a sense of humor.
As a public servant, he epitomized the best there is!
I do. I worked on the rehabilitation project in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I even have videos 😁
Looking at the stacks of metal pipes or rebar or whatever it is:
I would venture to say that the wooden shacks are for workers and/or foremen and the sign is a temporary one while they do whatever work it is they are doing.
Just a guess.
Theshack was probably for the operator of the bridge, who would op[en it for tall boats.