Category Archives: Saugatuck

Cribari Bridge: What If …?

Posted on March 9, 2026 | 6 comments

What’s next for the Cribari Bridge?

“Adaptive rehabilitation”? A complete replacement?

Those are the most talked-about options, for the 143-year-old span.

But one “06880” readers is thinking outside the bridge — er, box.

He offers an idea that may seem improbable, perhaps impossible.

But back when Grover Cleveland was president, the idea of a bridge that opened laterally to let Saugatuck River traffic through may also have been considered way out there.

A detail of the Bridge Street Bridge, from Robert Lambdin’s Saugatuck mural.

At this point, nothing should be off the table. So “06680” presents it, for discussion. The reader writes:

What about an entirely new bridge and road next to the I-95 bridge, on one side of it or the other?

It would go from the Saugatuck Avenue parking lot underneath the I-95 bridge (next to Black Duck) to Compo Road South, using Elaine Road.

(Elaine Road leads into Westport Animal Control and the public boat launch under I-95. It is currently one-way; it would have to become two-way to bring traffic onto Compo Road South. The current exit road from the boat launch area loops just north of Elaine Drive; it takes traffic via Underhill Parkway onto Bridge Street, opposite The Saugatuck co-op residences.)

Elaine Road (red balloon), the I-95 bridge, and environs. Click on or hover over to enlarge.

This would alleviate traffic in the Saugatuck bottleneck area on Riverside Drive.

The Cribari Bridge could receive basic rebuilding, as a passenger car or possibly pedestrian-only bridge.

It seems that a temporary bridge will be necessary during the project. Why not make a better positioned permanent bridge?

Aerial view.

Meanwhile, another reader offers a suggestion for construction.

Ray Broady moved to Westport in 2014 from Southern California, with his wife of 55 years, to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter. Ray spent his career in contracting. He writes:

I realize the state Department of Transportation is trying to meet state and federal mandates, with regard to traffic.

DOT is going override the town’s wants and wishes, and move ahead with a big concrete bridge that bypasses historic preservation and careful outcome needs of our community.

We can slow and stop this outcome if we bring to DOT at the March 19 meeting (6 p.m., Town Hall) a viable consensus plan of how the Cribari Bridge can be replaced with a wonderful matching historic-looking truss bridge that is a little wider (not a lot), has better approaches, still provides the opening swing span, will have a slightly taller clearance for small boats when closed, can be built in shorter time versus standard build for a new temporary bridge, and does not disrupt traffic badly during the new bridge final in place finish.

I have come up with a plan of how this can be easily accomplished. The concept is a new historic truss Cribari Bridge replacement.

Several fabricators and builders in the country can build a new historic truss-look bridge structure in 3 separate sections. There are 2 ways to accomplish this.

The East Main Street Bridge in Newark, Licking County, Ohio is 35 feet wide. Two lanes, with bicycle and pedestrian ways, it was fabricated by US Bridge in Cambridge, Ohio.

One is to float construction barges in the river sides near the launch ramp area and under a portion of I-95 overhead, where floating cranes can assemble partially finished structures to assemble the 3 main sections for the bridge.

The other is to construct the 3 new bridge sections on barges at another site, and float them up the Saugatuck River mouth and into position when ready to set them.

These new bridge sections would have top truss sections 13′ 6″ inches above the finished bridge roadway. This would preclude large semi-truck trailers crossing the new bridge.

The new bridge should be reset in a straighter line with the Bridge Street end. This will allow new concrete footings and end approaches to be constructed without demolition of the old Cribari Bridge sections

This will mean little to no lengthy closure of the bridge traffic, and produce a complete new historic-look bridge in a greatly reduced time frame.

The river is scheduled for dredging, including the area under the bridge at both new and existing locations, to create better river depths at low tides.

The new bridge pieces can be floated on the barges, and set on the new footings and approaches. DOT might be excited about this form of construction, as they just finished an “out of the box” bridge replacement using the build and move bridge for exit 17.

(“06880” covers the Cribari Bridge story from many angles. If you appreciate our stories, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

6 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged ,

Cribari Bridge Survey: “06880” Readers Want “Adaptive Rehabilitation”

Posted on March 6, 2026 | 13 comments

The public has spoken,

By a wide margin, respondents to yesterday’s “06880” Cribari Bridge survey favor “adaptive rehabilitation” of the 143-year-old span. That means improving roadway safety and adding bike lanes, while preserving the 12′ 10″ height to continue blocking heavy truck traffic.

As of 6:45 this morning,  464 readers, or 75% — out of a total of 617 who answered the question — chose that option.

Another 98 (16%) selected “full replacement” (meeting all modern height, weight and flood-resilience standards).

The third option — “no change; leave it as it is” — was chosen by 55 (9%).

Cribari Bridge (Photo/Ferdinand Jahnel)

The survey was unscientific (and a few of the 627 participants did not answer every question). But it offers some insight, as Westport grapples with next steps in a decades-long debate over next step for one of the town’s 3 Saugatuck River crossings.

Readers were given 4 elements to rate as “very important to me,” “somewhat important to me” or “not important to me,” when considering the Cribari Bridge.

The most important, according to respondents, was “the potential for use by large trucks.” That was “very important” to 426 (70%), “somewhat important” to 100 (16%), and “not important” to 85 (14%).

“Safety issues — for example, increasing the width” — was “very important” to 356 (58%) and “somewhat important” to 175 (29%). It was “not important” to 80 (13%).

When considering its future, the Cribari Bridge’s history was deemed “very important” by 277 readers (45%), and “somewhat important” by 257 (42%). Another 79 (13%) called it “not important.”

The fourth consideration was “navigability of the Saugatuck River, including the ability of all marine craft to pass underneath.” 173 readers (28%) called it “very important; 276 (45%) said it was “somewhat important,” and 164 (27%) said it was “not important.”

The Cribari Bridge is the oldest swing span of its type in the nation. It is opened manually, to allow marine craft to pass underneath. (Photo/Mark Mathias)

“06880” readers’ preference for “adaptive rehabilitation” aligns with a sense of the meeting vote taken Tuesday night, by the Representative Town Meeting.

Twenty of 21 RTM members present and voting — 95% — said yes to a bridge that would be wide enough for pedestrian and bike lanes, yet low enough to prohibit 18 wheelers.

The lone “no” vote was cast to reflect a desire for restoration, not replacement in any form. Four members abstained.

The full “sense of the meeting” resolution is at the end of this story.*

The Cribari Bridge. (Photo/Patricia McMahon)

The survey asked 3 other questions.

On the issue of whether the town of Westport should buy the Cribari Bridge — which would mean being responsible for renovation and maintenance, without federal and state funding — the majority (369, or 61%) said no. 236 readers (39%) agreed with the idea.

Even more respondents opposed the idea of moving the bridge elsewhere in town, to serve as a footbridge and preserve its history. That idea was opposed by 392 (65%), supported by 210 (35%).

The final question asked: “If the town negotiates with the state Department of Transportation on the future of the Cribari Bridge, which of the following should NOT be up for discussion?”

The most important non-negotiable item — “allowing large truck traffic” — was chosen by 484 (43%).

“Losing the historic look” was deemed non-negotiable by 266 (24%), followed by “keeping height” (172, 15%), “creating a new alignment” (121, 11%) and adding width (7%).

==================================================

* The RTM “sense of the meeting” resolution” said:

RESOLVED: It is the sense of the Westport Representative Town Meeting that the Town administration should engage with the Connecticut Department of Transportation to ensure that the Cribari Bridge across the Saugatuck river is restored, rehabilitated or replaced as soon as practicable.

Any upgrade should at a minimum maintain or evoke the historic design of the current structure. The finished structure should be wide enough to include pedestrian and bike lanes and a height restriction to ensure that it will not provide access for semi tractor trucks.

(“06880” reports regularly on the Cribari Bridge debate — and everything else in Westport too. If you appreciate our coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!) 

13 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged , ,

Cribari Bridge Future: Take Our “06880” Poll

Posted on March 5, 2026 | 28 comments

Everyone has an opinion about the Cribari Bridge.

Save it at all costs! Renovate it for safety and river navigation! Don’t allow trucks! Don’t worry, they can’t get through Saugatuck anyway!

As the March 19 community meeting (6 p.m., Town Hall) with the state Department of Transportation looms, the jury remains out on what Westport — residents, and town officials — really want for the span’s future.

A decade after discussions began on a renovation or replacement of the 143-year-old bridge, no one seems to have an idea of what to say to DOT.

That might be because no one has clearly asked.

Today, “06880” does just that.

We’ve created an 8-question survey. It’s not scientific — we’re not Gallup or Quinnipiac — but it could give some sense of residents’ feelings. Results will be posted on Friday.

The survey is below. NOTE: This is for current Westport residents only. Thanks!

Cribari Bridge (Photo courtesy of Library of Congress)

28 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged , ,

[OPINION] River Is Westport’s Anchor. Cribari Debate Needs Steadiness Too.

Posted on March 3, 2026 | 9 comments

Robbie Guimond has lived and worked on the Saugatuck River for nearly 40 years. Since 1996 he’s owned and operated Bridgebrook Marina, one of the last old New England boatyards. He writes:

For a town built on the banks of a river, it’s remarkable how far we’ve drifted from understanding the very resource that shaped us.

I’ve spent my life on the water — working, boating, raising my girls while watching the tides and summers come and go — and I’m still struck by how few people here truly engage with the river that defines our history and our identity.

That disconnect is showing up now, at a moment when clarity matters most.

Robbie Guimond, at work on the river.

Over the years I’ve sat through meeting after meeting, reread the blogs, listened to the videos and talked with neighbors across town.

What I’ve learned is simple and uncomfortable: misinformation is everywhere, and it’s affecting all of us — including me.

The recent RTM meeting, and the commentary swirling around it, are just the latest examples of how quickly passion can outrun facts.

The Cribari Bridge at the center of this debate is more than iron and bolts. It’s part of our daily lives, our memories, our sense of place.

Saugatuck River (Photo/Claudia Sherwood Servidio)

Even after the state Department of Transportation’s missteps and the mess that we were left with, I still see the bridge, its scars and its lights as part of Saugatuck’s character.

It deserves a conversation grounded in understanding, not noise.

I’ve tried — sometimes to the point of going hoarse — to explain the issues as best as an everyday guy can. I often get caught up in emotion, which drives me off course.

But at this stage, the most important thing any of us can do is: get informed. Read the Environmental Assessment. Look closely at the options that came out of more than a dozen meetings with the state. Understand what’s actually on the table.

Inspecting supports for the Cribari Bridge. Much of the recent debate has focused on the part of the bridge that everyone sees and travels on — not what’s underneath, where river traffic passes.

Because the petitions circulating right now are one‑sided. The blog comments, while heartfelt, are often tilted. And yes, my own posts and comments have their biases too. That’s exactly why we need to step back from the echo chambers and look at the full picture.

At the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We all want a bridge that is safe, suitable, and responsible to the environment around it, and the river that runs under it.

We want solutions that protect quality of life, improve traffic and commerce, and honor the history that makes this place special. Those goals aren’t in conflict —they’re connected.

But we can’t reach them if we’re arguing from different sets of facts.

The river has always been our town’s anchor. It’s time for our decision‑making to reflect that same steadiness.

(“06880″‘s Opinion pages are open to all. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

The Saugatuck River. View is from the Riverwalk, behind office buildings on Riverside Avenue. (Photo/Louisa Ismert)

9 Comments

Posted in Environment, Local politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged , ,

Cribari Bridge: An Outside Engineer Looks In

Posted on March 3, 2026 | 23 comments

If Westport decides what we want to do with the Cribari Bridge, the state Department of Transportation will listen — and work with us.

If not, they won’t.

That’s the assessment of a civil engineer — not a Westporter — who is very familiar with state bridges and the DOT, and has followed our town’s saga for years.

His view — gleaned from news reports, and watching the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) Zoom session last week — is that most people here agree something must be done to the 143-year-old span.

But after all this time, there is no consensus on what that should be.

No consensus yet on the Cribari Bridge’s future. (Drone photo/John Videler, for Videler Photography)

There are issues with historic integrity (the bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places), structural integrity (it was built when Grover Cleveland was president), traffic, semi-trailers, navigability of the Saugatuck River, and more.

“I get the sense that Westport is not unified in what it wants,” the engineer says. “But it seems like everyone is using DOT as a punching bag.”

In his experience, DOT officials work with municipalities that want to work with it.

Kicking the can down the road won’t work. The bridge won’t last forever.

And if there is a major incident with it, then where would Westport — and the state — be?

The Cribari Bridge is sometimes stuck in the open position. (Photo/Mark Mathias)

One option has been little discussed, he notes: the town purchasing the bridge. In that case, Westport taxpayers would have complete control over its design and traffic.

We’d also be responsible for buying it, and maintaining it — without state and federal funds.

Without going that route, the engineer says, the state must be involved. Westport can’t ignore ConnDOT. Their goal, he says, is a “safe, reliable transit network.”

The engineer is also trying to figure out Westporters’ views on the historical nature of the Cribari Bridge.

If people value it for its history, he says, are they amenable to relocating it to another site, perhaps as a pedestrian span? If not, why not?

“If Westport could wave a magic wand, what would you want?” he asks.

“Probably no one knows. But without Westport being aligned on what they want, it seems very difficult to see this project proceeding. Is that what people want? And what happens then, if something bad happens to the bridge?”

The bottom line, the engineer says, is this: “DOT is coming to the table on March 19.” (That’s the date for a 6 p.m. meeting with residents, at Town Hall.)

“Westport should have a uniform idea of what they want then.” If that happens — and the meeting does not devolve into conflicting ideas and accusations — “DOT would certainly work with the town.”

The engineer knows that complete consensus is probably impossible. But if town officials come up with “a couple” of options” — and tell DOT, “we need this, and it’s okay to compromise a little on that,” a plan can be made.

“If you took DOT out of the room, it doesn’t look like right now Westport knows what it wants,” he reiterates.

“And if the town doesn’t know, how can DOT respond?”

==================================================

Meanwhile, based on news reports and last week’s RTM meeting, the engineer offers his objective summary of the situation.

The 1884 bridge stands at the center of a 2026 traffic management discussion.

The only reason not meeting current design standards is even being considered is the National Historic Preservation Act. It is a legal protection that allows a community to argue that the history of the bridge and the protection of the neighborhood are more important than the DOT’s book of standards.

Without the bridge’s National Register status, there would be little to debate; the bridge would have been replaced with a standard concrete span decades ago. The “gravitas” of the 1884 date is the only reason the “substandard” height remains an option on the table.

The Engineering Reality: After 140+ years of service, the bridge faces a critical intersection of structural decay and functional obsolescence. Routine inspections have identified severe corrosion and collision damage. Current vehicular weight limits are restricted to 20 tons — half the modern standard — affecting the routing of school buses and emergency apparatus. The bridge’s 19.5-foot width and 12′ 10″ vertical clearance fall significantly below modern safety standards, leading to frequent sideswipe accidents and truss strikes.

The Crux of the Dilemma: To the state DOT, these metrics represent a failure of its mission to provide a safe, efficient, and resilient transportation network. From a management perspective, full replacement would likely seem the most defensible path. It secures a 75-year design life, meets federal safety standards, and eliminates the state’s liability for maintaining a “substandard” structure.

To the community, however, the bridge’s deficiencies are viewed as its most vital features. The low vertical clearance acts as a physical obstacle that prevents large tractor-trailers from using Route 136 as a bypass for I-95. Residents fear that a modern bridge, built to standard heights, will fundamentally transform a residential village.

Traffic is a concern on the Cribari Bridge.

Alternatives

Full Replacement (likely DOT-preferred): A new bridge, likely designed as a “High-Fidelity Replica” to satisfy historic preservation needs. It would meet all modern height, weight, and flood-resiliency standards.

Adaptive Rehabilitation (resident-preferred): Would involve “splitting and widening” the original trusses. This would improve roadway safety and add bike lanes, while intentionally preserving the 12′ 10″ height to continue blocking heavy truck traffic.

The Adaptive Rehabilitation proposal is a paradox: It seeks to meet modern standards for width, while refusing them for height. For DOT, accepting this requires a “Design Exception” that shifts long-term liability and maintenance risks to the state for a structure that remains intentionally restricted.

Progress depends on uncoupling the bridge design from traffic enforcement.

In addition, the Saugatuck River is a navigable waterway. Under federal law, the bridge owner is legally mandated to open the bridge for marine traffic.

From an objective engineering standpoint: There is no technical justification for an intentional height restriction on a state-maintained route.

However, the “inevitability” hits a legal wall called Section 4(f). Because the bridge is a National Historic Resource, federal law says the DOT cannot replace it simply because it’s “the most sensible use of funds.” They must prove that every other alternative is “not prudent.”

This may become a battle over whether “Historic Preservation” and “Community Character” are legally allowed to override “Design Standards.” Some in Westport may be betting that the answer is yes.

A little bridge causes big controversy.

23 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Politics, Saugatuck

Tagged ,

Roundup: Cribari Petitions, Felice Opens, Wheels2U Savings …

Posted on March 1, 2026 | 1 comment

As the state Department of Transportation meeting about the Cribari Bridge nears (March 19, 6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium), 2 complementary petitions are circulating.

One — newly launched — calls for preservation of the 143-year-old span as a functional and picturesque community landmark. It emphasizes the bridge’s historic and visual importance to Westport, and urges that it be maintained as close to its present character as possible.

The petition says, “It’s essential that we keep the bridge a functional and picturesque icon, retaining its place not only in our community but also in our hearts. Click here to see.

An earlier petition focuses on a clear outcome: preserving the bridge itself.

It calls for full federal oversight and procedural transparency in the planning process. It asks that all required public engagement, regulatory review and historic preservation standards be fully and openly applied before decisions are finalized.

Specifically, it seeks confirmation that cumulative and long-term impacts — including effects on National Register structures and the Bridge Street Historic District — are thoroughly evaluated under applicable federal preservation guidelines. Click here to see. (Hat tip: Werner Liepolt)

The Cribari Bridge is the oldest one of its swing type in the country. (Photo/Mark Mathias)

================================================

Westport’s newest restaurant opens tomorrow.

And — judging by a sneak preview yesterday — it will be one more jewel in the town’s culinary crown.

Felice takes over the 2nd-floor Main Street space occupied most recently by Mexicue. (Before that, it was Onion Alley and Bobby Q’s.)

In just a couple of months, they’ve done a complete makeover. The large, space has been made warm and inviting, with both Tuscany and contemporary décor. A large bar separates 2 rooms, with tables and banquettes.

Westport is Felice’s newest location, following very popular locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and Florida. Diners yesterday who love the Upper East Side restaurant say this one follows its worthy lead.

Felice will be open 7 days a week, for lunch (weekdays, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.), dinner (Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.) and brunch (Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Click here for more information. 

Ela Benedetti and Nina welcome guests to Felice. (Photo/Dan Woog)

A sampling of dishes.

==================================================

Wheels2U’s “Spring Savings” promotion makes the daily commute more affordable than ever. 

From today through April 30, riders can purchase a 10-trip bundle for the cost of 9 rides — just $18. That makes a single trip only $1.80. 

That’s a $13.80 savings per week over the daily cost of parking at the train station — over $55 a month. And it comes with door-to-platform service.

Non-commuters can use the savings on trips to the Senior Center, Jesup Green or the Library. Once downloaded, the rides never expire.

Open or download the Wheels2U app. Select “Ride Pass” from the menu; then select “Westport 10 Ride Pass.”

Wheels2U (Photo/Rick Jaffe)

=================================================

As graduation season approaches, singer-songwriter Owen Daniel has announced a graduation performance contest.

The winner of the contest — celebrating his new single, “Hundreds of Miles” — will get a live acoustic performance of the song at a graduation ceremony.

Daniel is an upcoming graduate himself. He is a senior at Weston High School.

“Hundreds of Miles” reflects on moving away from home, navigating emotional distance, and entering a new chapter of life. Its themes resonate too with anyone experiencing change or growth.

Students, parents and school administrators can enter by clicking here. The deadline is March 31.

=================================================

Tether —  the largest stablecoin company in the world — is investing $200 million into Whop.

That gives the platform — which connects buyers and sellers in the digital economy, focusing on influencers and content creators, and whose co-founder and chief technology officer is 2018 Staples High School graduate Jack Sharkey — a valuation of $1.6 billion.

Sharkey says the partnership “marks a major step in building the world’s largest internet market. Tether is committed to enabling everyone in the world to participate in the new internet economy. The way humans work and create value is changing fast. The world needs both an open internet market giving people a platform to conduct business, as well as a transparent payments network.

“There is enormous opportunity when you combine Tether’s global scale and wallet technology with Whop’s community of next generation entrepreneurs.

“In partnership with Tether, we will be scaling infrastructure in real-time for new business models as they emerge across the globe.”

Earlier investors include Bain Capital Ventures, The Motley Fool Ventures and Peter Thiel.

“They believed in us when Whop was just a sneaker bot rental marketplace,” Sharkey adds.

“My co-founders and I met as teenagers on the internet selling software. We first launched Whop as a way to sell our software to people in Facebook and Discord forums.

“Prior to Whop, the place we found customers was different from the place we collected payments, different from the place we talked to customers, and there wasn’t a central place to “do business” on the internet.”

Jack Sharkey (right) gets his entrepreneurial drive from his father Scott (left) — the founder of Westport-based Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, and Every Home Should Have a Challah.

=================================================

Yesterday’s Roundup noted the death of Neil Sedaka — a 20-year Westport resident, beginning in the late 1970s.

When he headlined a Levitt Pavilion benefit concert in 1982, Miggs Burroughs interviewed him.

Miggs remembers him as “a very sweet and gentle man,” and sends this photo of them together:

Miggs Burroughs and Neil Sedaka

==================================================

“Spring is here! The doves are back,” Bobbi Essagof says.

Then she proves it, with this “Westport … Naturally” photo:

(Photo/Bobbi Essagof)

Did she speak too soon?

Today’s forecast is for snow during this morning, transitioning to snow showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the mid-30s.

Temperatures for the coming week will bein the 40s — and possibly 54 on Friday.

Fingers crossed …

==================================================

And finally … one more tribute to our former neighbor, the late Neil Sedaka:

(February is already over — we’re 1/6 of the way through 2026. If you forgot your New Year’s resolution to help support “06880”: No problem! Just click here. And thank you!)

1 Comment

Posted in Entertainment, Local politics, Restaurants, Saugatuck, technology, Transportation

Tagged , , , , , ,

[OPINION] Looking Back — And Ahead — At Cribari Bridge

Posted on February 26, 2026 | 13 comments

Yulee Aronson is a licensed professional engineer, with 40 years of construction management and project controls experience, overseeing many high-profile and complex projects. He says, “I have never encountered a construction problem that couldn’t be overcome.”

Locally, Aronson has worked on the earlier renovation of the Cribari Bridge; the new Staples High School, and the chlorination building at the wastewater pollution facility. Other projects include Penn Station access, the reconstruction of La Guardia Airport, and the Baltimore Potomac Tunnel replacement. He writes:

I’d like to begin by the thanking the Representative Town Meeting for Tuesday’s Zoom meeting, and having an open and respectful discussion regarding the upcoming Connecticut Department of Transportation project that will affect most of us living in Westport for many years to come.

Also, I thank 1st Selectman Kevin Christie and State Representative Jonathan Steinberg for participating, and sharing their thoughts.

Over the course of my career I’ve been involved in many bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects.

Yulee Aronson

The Bridge Street Bridge, as it was called then, was my first. I wasn’t involved in the beginning phase, when a temporary bridge was built and the existing bridge was replaced.

I was involved in  the second phase: raising the newly constructed bridge, and removing the temporary one.

For context and in response to some of the comments Tuesday night: The original bridge wasn’t built lower before it was raised, as some may remember thinking at the time.

It certainly felt that way if you traveled under it in a kayak.

The reason is a difference in the structural design. The original historic bridge was supported by floor beams resting on trusses. The floor beams ran north/south, and kayakers could travel between them during high tide.

When the bridge was replaced, the trusses no longer served any practical purpose. They were installed as a decorative feature, to preserve the historic look of the bridge.

Instead, deep girders were installed in an east/west direction, denying kayakers access during high tide.

Westporters complained and protested, calling for bridge openings 10 times a day until the state agreed to raise the structure. Now here we are again.

I evaluated proposals by the state as they relate to the proposed bridge elevations. They are:

It appears that the state proposes to elevate the bridge 10 feet, to keep the machinery above the 100-year flood elevation, either on alignment or offset.

What “on alignment” means

The distance between the intersection with Riverside Ave and the west abutment is 45 feet+/-. Even if the grade was flat (and it is not), to go up 10 feet in 45 feet, you’d need 22% slope. So, elevating the bridge “on alignment” is not a real option.

Elevating the bridge off alignment may look like the old temporary bridge.

Temporary bridge (left), during early 1990s renovation of what was then called the Bridge Street Bridge. 

If the new bridge follows similar alignment, why does it need to be movable?

Forty years ago, the bridge was replaced in open position. So for several years marine traffic passed under the temporary bridge. Regulators, including the Coast Guard, permitted this.

I was not involved in the permitting process, and I don’t recall the height of the temporary bridge, but it wasn’t nearly as tall as the one carrying I-95 traffic.

There are issues with this option as well. Is there availability of land to build the bridge as shown in the photo? And how do we address impacts to wetlands on the northeast side. There are other potential environmental challenges too.

Let’s keep our ideas flowing, Westport!

(The “06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Please send submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com. To help support this hyper-local blog, please click here.)

13 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged ,

RTM: Committee Could Advocate For Cribari Bridge

Posted on February 25, 2026 | 2 comments

Representative Town Meeting (RTM) members spoke — and listened — last night, in a Zoom session focused on one topic: the Cribari Bridge.

The session was organized by RTM rep Matthew Mandell, in response to concerns about the future of the 143-year-old span — the oldest swing bridge of its kind in the country.

As a March 19 meeting (6 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) with the state Department of Transportation looms, members from RTM Districts 1, 4 and 9 — all encompassing or close to Saugatuck and Greens Farms – hoped to gain input and find consensus on possible action.

They discussed — and the public reinforced — concerns about traffic, safety, and a process many feel is already preordained by the state Department of Transportation.

In the end, support was strong for a committee — appointed by 1st Selectman Kevin Christie, and including RTM members — to give clear guidance to DOT, regarding the town’s wishes and demands.

Christie said he would discuss the idea with others. A sense of the meeting resolution may be voted on Tuesday, when the RTM meets next.

Last night’s meeting drew, at one point, 140 people. Matthew Mandell — the District 1 representative who organized the session — said the goal was for the town to plan how to work with DOT on a solution that’s good for “the residents and the state.”

“The RTM must champion residents’ efforts, no matter how it’s built,” Jennifer Johnson (District 9) said. She, like many others, noted the importance of not allowing Route 136  and Greens Farms Road to become a “truck route.”

Cribari Bridge (Photo/Whitmal Cooper)

Fellow District 9 rep Kristin Schneeman cited 2 distinct areas to examine: the engineering and design of the bridge, and the policy that drives discussion of its rehabilitation or replacement.

District 9 member Nancy Kail pressed for the involvement of Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Representative Jim Himes.

With much of the discussion revolving around Bridge Street, 2 speakers pointed to the bridge’s impact on other parts of town.

Lou Mall — an RTM member whose District 2 includes the often-gridlocked Riverside Avenue/Post Road West/Wilton Road intersection — said that whatever happens at Bridge Street will “squeeze the balloon,” with traffic affecting other parts of town.

Robbie Guimond, who lives on Riverside Avenue and owns a marina there, asked, “Why is the RTM so insistent on protecting one part of Westport — Bridge Street — at the expense of another?”

Town residents expressed frustration with the town’s previous dealings with DOT.

“They’re running roughshod over us,” said Valerie Seiling Jacobs, co-chair of Save Westport Now. “We know the answers they’ll give us on March 19. They’re not going to collaborate with us — they’ve made that clear.”

One example: DOT “did not require contractors to have any experience in historic renovation” when they sent information on possible bids.

“How many times do we have to ask questions, and get hit over the head?” Jacobs asked. “The DOT has said that the bridge will be built to (its) code. We need a strategy, and a solution, before the 19th.”

Nearly everyone agreed that something must — and will — be done to the Cribari Bridge. The issues were twofold: What will it be? And what role will Westport have in the process?

“Safety and careful planning are not conflicting goals,” said Werner Liepolt, a Bridge Street resident who has been active in the issue for years.

Westporter Ray Broady looked at the decade-long debate about the future of the Cribari Bridge, and the many proposals, arguments and counter-arguments that keep cropping up.

“This is Whac-a-Mole,” he said.

2 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Saugatuck, Transportation, Westport life

Tagged , ,

[OPINION] Cribari Bridge: Reject “False Choice”; Adopt “Adaptive Rehabilitation Alternative”

Posted on February 24, 2026 | 8 comments

Tonight, there’s a Zoom meeting organized by several Representative Town Meeting members to discuss the Cribari Bridge (7 p.m., Zoom). The public is invited; click here for the link.

This afternoon, Save Westport Now co-chairs Valerie Seiling Jacobs and Ian Warburg released an open letter to Westporters. They say:

Contrary to the state Department of Transportation’s claims, not all bridges need to be rebuilt to current standards in order to remain safe and functional.

At least 2 other historic bridges in Connecticut have been successfully rehabilitated by DOT — without bringing them up to current code. In other words, there is a way to balance modern transportation needs with historic preservation.

That is not just a preservationist talking point. That is the key point in the Cribari Bridge debate.

And it is consistent with CTDOT’s own historic bridge framework.

In CTDOT’s 2002 “Historic Bridge Inventory Update,” the agency explains that the inventory is designed not only to identify historic bridges, but also to guide treatment in ways that avoid adverse effects and support proper review under federal historic-preservation law.

It also references CTDOT’s earlier Historic Bridge Inventory and Preservation Plan, which specifically addressed how to avoid adverse effects to historic bridges.

That matters because the Cribari Bridge is not a generic piece of infrastructure. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and sits within the Bridge Street Historic District.

Yet despite repeated statements that no final decision has been made, the process appears to be moving toward a demolition-and-replacement outcome that would produce a much larger bridge, with a very different traffic profile.

Let’s be blunt: A bigger bridge is not just a bridge design decision. It is a traffic decision.

If Westport allows a larger, highway-scaled replacement that can more easily accommodate heavy vehicles, we should not be surprised when more I-95 spillover traffic — including trucks — is funneled onto local roads.

Bridge Street and Greens Farms Road were not designed to serve as an informal regional bypass. They are neighborhood roads used by residents, pedestrians, cyclists, school buses and local businesses.

Bridge Street traffic. (Photo/Werner Liepolt)

This is where the debate has been too narrow. We are not just being asked whether we want an old bridge or a new bridge. We are being asked whether Westport will accept a state project that could change the function of this corridor, making it more attractive for non-local through traffic while the consequences are borne by Saugatuck and Greens Farms.

Westport Journal reported that the state’s environmental assessment reviewed 5 alternatives (including 2 rehabilitation options and 2 replacement options), and that CTDOT/Federal Highway Administration identified replacement alternatives as best able to address structural and functional issues while improving sidewalks, bike access, and mobility.

It also reported an estimated $78–$86 million cost and roughly 3-year construction duration for in-place replacement. Those are serious considerations.

But they do not answer the central questions Westporters are asking:

  • Why is a context-sensitive rehabilitation alternative not getting full, good-faith evaluation?
  • Why is the likely effect on local traffic patterns — including truck cut-through — not front and center?
  • Why does a historic bridge in a historic district seem to be treated as though standardization is the only responsible option?

Cribari Bridge (Photo/Patricia McMahon)

CTDOT’s own historic bridge work undermines that “one-size-fits-all” narrative.

In its 2022 update, CTDOT explicitly distinguished between ordinary bridges and those requiring additional consideration. The report identified common-type bridges in or adjacent to historic districts, and separately screened for “exceptional” bridges whose design, aesthetics or context warranted special treatment.

In other words, CTDOT’s own framework recognizes what residents have been saying all along: Context, scale, and design matter.

The report’s own examples prove the point. CTDOT flagged as “exceptional” bridges like:

  • West Cornwall Covered Bridge (award-winning CTDOT preservation example)
  • Bridge 00658 in Hamden (Route 15 over Whitney Avenue), noted for ornamental features and parkway context
  • Bridge 00796 in Wallingford (Yale Avenue over Route 15), recognized for aesthetic treatment
  • Bridge 03697 in Fairfield (Brookside Drive over the Mill River), a modest concrete slab bridge set apart in part because of ornamental railing and visual character.

West Cornwall Covered Bridge

If those bridges merit heightened sensitivity because of design and context, how can Cribari — a nationally recognized bridge in a historic district — be denied the same seriousness?

CTDOT’s report also includes Westport’s own Saugatuck River Swing Bridge (Bridge No. 01349) among previously listed National Register bridges reviewed in the update, and it notes that CTDOT’s actions over prior decades helped preserve Connecticut’s engineering heritage as reflected in its bridges.

Westport should insist that this preservation ethic apply to the Cribari Bridge now — not just in retrospective reports.

We support safety improvements. We support better pedestrian and bicycle access. We support long-term infrastructure reliability. But Westport should reject the false choice between “do nothing” and “build a bigger bridge that changes the corridor.”

Cribari Bridge, at Riverside Avenue.

The town should formally demand evaluation of an Adaptive Rehabilitation Alternative that is engineered for safety and designed to discourage regional cut-through traffic:

  • Split-and-widen rehabilitation of the existing truss (not demolition and highway-scaled replacement).

A split-and-widen strategy — used elsewhere on historic truss bridges — can preserve the bridge while improving lane geometry, sidewalks and bike access.

That approach asks the right question: How do we make Cribari safer and more functional, without transforming it into a larger-capacity conduit? Here’s an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yys_4XPqbtA

  • Narrow crash-rail retrofit instead of bulky highway

There are compliant crash-rail systems designed for historic bridges that improve safety while preserving width, sightlines and visual proportion. Barrier design is not cosmetic. It directly affects whether the bridge remains context-sensitive or becomes a pseudo-highway structure.

  • Repair and strengthen piers/buttresses using preservation

If substructure work is needed, do it — but in a way consistent with National Park Service standards for historic resources. Structural integrity and historic integrity are not mutually exclusive. Competent engineering can deliver both.

  • Design explicitly for local safety and access — not truck

Westport should insist that any alternative be evaluated for its likely effect on traffic behavior, including whether it would increase the corridor’s attractiveness as an I-95 spillover route for trucks and heavy through traffic. The goal should be safer local use, not a state-engineered invitation for non-local traffic.

Here are 3 facts Westporters should not ignore.

First: This is not simply a preservation fight. It is a neighborhood safety, traffic pattern, and quality of life fight.

Second: Process concerns are real. Whatever one thinks about the engineering, the public has every right to demand full transparency, lawful historic review, and genuine consideration of alternatives before the outcome becomes effectively irreversible.

Third: Westporters are paying attention. A petition seeking greater oversight and federal review has now passed 1,000 signatures. That level of concern is not noise. It is a warning that residents believe the process is moving too fast and the stakes are too high.

This is not a choice between history and safety. It is a choice about whether Westport will settle for a state solution that may make our neighborhoods less safe and more congested — or insist on one that protects safety, lawful process, historic character and sensible local traffic patterns, including discouraging truck cut-through from I-95 spillover.

A public hearing is scheduled for March 19 at Westport Town Hall. Public comments run through April 17. If you care about Saugatuck, Greens Farms, and how major decisions get made in this town, now is the time to show up and speak up.

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Please email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.com.)

“06880” covers the news — and offers readers many ways to react to it. We hope you’ll support our efforts, by clicking here. Thank you!)

8 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged , , ,

Cribari Bridge Petition Nears 1,000 Signatures

Posted on February 24, 2026 | 19 comments

A petition begun by Bridge Street National Register District resident Werner Liepolt is nearing 1,000 signatures.

Calling the Cribari Bridge — which links his road with Saugatuck — “more than just a piece of infrastructure; it is a cherished symbol of our heritage, tying together the historical fabric of our neighborhood,” Liepolt says: “The sudden decision to replace such an irreplaceable landmark raises concerns not only within our community but also nationwide, as it sets a precedent for how historic sites might be handled without proper oversight.

“Why hasn’t there been an effort to engage the community in this critical decision-making process? The lack of transparency undermines the principles of fair public policy and overlooks the historical significance that this bridge brings to our region.”

Petition organizer Werner Liepolt painted this Cribari Bridge scene.

The Change.org petition is aimed at 8 “decision makers”: Governor Ned Lamont, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Congressman Jim Himes, State Senator Ceci Maher, State Representative Jonathan Steinberg, Planning & Zoning Commissioner Michael Cammeyer, and Representative Town Meeting member Nancy Kail.

The petition adds: “It is imperative that the federal government steps in to ensure that the CTDOT considers all perspectives, from engineering experts to local residents, and follows due process in accordance with National Historic Preservation guidelines.



“The preservation of the William F. Cribari Bridge is essential for maintaining the cultural and architectural identity of our region, and its replacement should not proceed without an exhaustive review and input from all stakeholders involved. We need comprehensive federal oversight to guarantee that all alternatives are evaluated and that the richly historic and irreplaceable nature of the bridge is given due consideration.”

Liepolt says that signers “demand federal oversight over the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s plans to replace the William F. Cribari Bridge. Together, we can safeguard the integrity of our cherished historic landmark and ensure a democratic process respects both our heritage and community voice. Let us be vigilant in protecting our past for the generations to come.”

Click here to see the online petition.

(“06880” covers the Cribari Bridge controversy — and everything else going on in Westport too. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 eye on the town, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

19 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Politics, Saugatuck, Transportation

Tagged ,