Last week, after the Cribari Bridge was opened to allow a vessel to pass through, the span would not close.
It was mid-afternoon. Traffic quickly jammed every major road in Westport, and many side streets.
The situation was bad. But it could have been much worse.
Phil Delgado, quartermaster of VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399, writes:
“Hansen Marine Contractors, a third-generation family-owned company, is performing dredging operations this winter at VFW Post 399, Bridgebrook Marina, and the Saugatuck Rowing Club.
“Last week, when the Cribari Bridge was stuck open in freezing temperature and snow flurries, the Hansen team demonstrated exceptional professionalism and community spirit.
Hansen Marine equipment, dredging the VFW Marina on the Saugatuck River.
“Hansen Marine’s vessel, piloted by Erik Hansen and crew, was returning with an empty dredging barge. Radioing the Cribari Bridge maintenance crew, they learned the icy conditions were causing major mechanical issues with the bridge.
“Hansen’s master mechanic, Paul Olson, immediately stepped up. He picked up industrial-duty tools and torches, then returned to the scene to help the maintenance crew address the mechanical failures.
“His swift action and expertise were instrumental in restoring the bridge’s functionality, preventing further disruptions and ensuring the safety of our community.
“’Paul Olson saved the day,’ said a member of the Cribari Bridge maintenance team.
“His quick thinking, technical skills and willingness to help in freezing conditions make him this week’s Unsung Hero.”
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)
Time to replace the bridge.
brought tears to my eyes! I love this and am grateful there are people in this world like that!
Wow, so much gratitude to the Hansen team, and thanks to Mr. Delgado for bringing their altruism to light!
That is a pretty cool story…
Nice! Thank you.
Thank you for the recognition. I’m just glad I could help get traffic flowing again and not upset the people of Westport longer than needed.It was not just myself alone though. Kevin the bridge operator and his coworker Nelson were also instrumental in getting the bridge open again. They were right there with me the whole time braving the frigid temperature.
Grateful for their help. And this close call is yet another reminder that the Cribari bridge is long overdue for modernization/ replacement. We cannot keep ignoring this piece of crumbling infrastructure , especially because the consequences of inaction could literally be crippling for Westport. Where is the Town Administration on this issue ?
To answer my own rhetorical question: the Marpe-Tooker Administration on two occasions turned away $40 million in federal funds designed to explore a possible replacement / solution. Eventually we will all pay the price for this failure of leadership.
Last year the Tooker administration okayed the CTDOT request for funds to conduct right of way studies (what local properties will they seize under imminent domain), safety and pollution studies through the Western Connecticut Council of Government to replace the bridge with one that will allow the heavy truck traffic required for any project using federal funding.
So it is not accurate to say that Tooker turned away federal funding, however desecrating the acceptance of funding a replacement bridge project would be to residential neighborhoods and however incrementally such a project would add to excessive truck traffic on local roads.
I speculate that witnessing the horrific invasion of heavy truck traffic with 18 wheelers driving on Imperial Avenue sidewalks during the repair phase of the I-95 bridge disaster made many back away from the potentially disastrous bridge replacement.
But, hey, why hijack this thread of celebration and gratitude for some great, skilled, big hearted workers who got us going again within five hours on a frozen winter night?
They’re way more important than petty politicians.
The federal funding ($40 million) that the Marpe-Tooker Administration walked away from would have been used, at least in part, to actually move forward with the recommendations to fix the obsolete and unsafe bridge; the recent CTDOT funding you refer to is for yet another study. No action.
Bringing attention to the fact that the Town Administration continue to kick the can down the road for YEARS on this issue is not “petty” politics ; when (not if) the bridge finally fails to close, our community literally will be crippled.