Much of Westport’s focus is on the future of the William F. Cribari Bridge.
But another project is taking shape just a few yards away.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation has launched a website with information about the “SAGA River Railroad Bridge.”
If that means nothing, try this: the railroad bridge over the Saugatuck River, just south of the Cribari and I-95 spans.
The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, just south of I-95.
The “SAGA River Railroad Bridge” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1905, it is a “single leaf Scherzer rolling lift bascule bridge” carrying Metro-North, Amtrak and freight traffic over the Saugatuck River.
Metro-North operates 36 trains each, eastbound and westbound, on weekdays.
Amtrak runs 12 trains eastbound, and 13 westbound. The bridge also services 1 freight train daily in each direction.
Unknown to many Westporters, a pedestrian walkway on the south side of the bridge is a cherished shortcut for neighborhood commuters. (It also offers a spectacular view of the river, all the way to its Long Island Sound mouth.)
View from the Saugatuck River railroad footbridge, looking north. (Photo/Jennifer Rosen)
Two 50-horsepower diesel engines in a small building open and close the bridge. The bridge is periodically tested, but openings for marine traffic are “virtually non-existent.”
Due to its condition and age, 2 mechanics must oversee the locking mechanisms.
An early 20th-century photo shows the Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge opening, to let maritime traffic through.
Here’s the project overview:
“Due to the age and condition of the structure, including the mechanical and electrical components, the Connecticut Department of Transportation is considering various options for the future replacement or rehabilitation of the existing bascule bridge which carries 4 railroad tracks over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut.
“Failure of the structure to properly open/close would pose a significant risk of major long-term disruption to the Northeast Rail Corridor and to a lesser extent, maritime traffic. Therefore, the CTDOT is considering the viability of replacing or rehabilitating the moveable bridge.”
Another view of the Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge. (Photo/Patricia McMahon)
Design alternatives include no build; bridge rehabilitation; new fixed bridge replacement, and new moveable bridge replacement.
The next step is a feasibility study, including evaluation and environmental reports. It will examine “the effects a fixed structure would have on the area.”
The study will also investigate the possibility of increasing track speed to as much as 110 mph through the area. Currently, there is a 45 mph speed restriction on the bridge.
“These changes will likely require a higher track profile and an increasing of the distance between the tracks,” the website says.
“The Feasibility Study will evaluate this impact on the Westport Station, highway under/ overpasses in close proximity to the new structure, adjacent private properties, and railroad appurtenances such as catenary and signal and communication systems.”
The website lists the benefits of a new bridge:
- More reliable and faster service
- Possible expansion of future high-speed rail, intercity, commuter and freight rail operations
- Improved maritime safety and navigation
- Improved connectivity for economic growth.
No timetable is given for the project. Click here to view the website. For more information or questions, email DOT.SAGARiverBridge@ct.gov.
BRIDGE FACTS: There are 23 movable vehicular and train bridges under CTDOT jurisdictions. They include the Cribari Bridge, and the “WALK” train bridge in Norwalk, which is now part of a replacement project.
(Hat tip: Robbie Guimond)
Westporters gather on the banks of the Saugatuck River, following a 1935 railroad crash.
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You are absolutely correct about the view from the walkway on the RR bridge. It is gorgeous in both directions. My mother used to speak about that train wreck. She saw the aftermath during her daily walk to and from Staples High School (Riverside Ave.)..
I used to get up early before high school and give my father a ride to the end of East Ferry Lane. He would walk over the railroad bridge on the walkway to the train station and go in to the city for his job and I would get to use his “station car” to drive to Staples and pick him up at the same place around 6:00 pm after he got off the train from NYC and walked back over the bridge.