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)
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.
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)
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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.).
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.
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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.
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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:
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!)
MoCA\CT was packed last night, for the opening of its “Art, Jazz + the Blues” exhibition.
The sprawling show explores the intersections between visual art and 2 musical forms deeply rooted in African American traditions.
Westport artists are well represented, with many works drawing from the rich holdings of the Westport Public Art Collections. The centerpiece is “Giants of the Blues,” 7 large pieces by Eric von Schmidt depicting scores of influential artists, from the jazz, blues and folk worlds. It has hung for 20 years in auditorium lobby at Staples High School — von Schmidt’s alma mater — but at MoCA can be seen and appreciated much more grandly.
The exhibition also includes art by high school students, responding to a prompt about music in their lives and culture.
The opening reception featured remarks by von Schmidt’s daughter, and piano entertainment by Westport resident and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band’s original keyboardist, Mark Naftalin.
MoCA\CT executive director Robin Jaffee Frank (far left) and others involved in the “Art, Jazz + the Blues” exhibit. One of Eric von Schmidt’s 7 works hangs at the right. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Also last night: a reception honoring Bill Harmer’s 10 years as executive director of the Westport Library.
Former board of trustees chairs spoke about his work transforming the institution into Connecticut’s only 5-star library. In his remarks, Harmer praised the trustees, his staff, and the community for their collaborative work, and promised even deeper relationships in the future.
The event was held at The Visual Brand studio on Church Lane, where Harmer and other Library officials spent a great deal of time during the Library’s actual physical transformation in the late 2010s.
Bill Harmer, at his 10-year reception. (Photo/Dan Woog)
The only agenda item for next month’s meeting (March 3, 7:30 p.m., Town Hall auditorium) is “to hold a public discussion to support the Town Administration in its Cribari Bridge discussions with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation, with the intent to adopt a sense of the meeting resolution.”
Cohl Katz is a hair stylist and makeup artist to the stars.
Her client list runs, literally, from A (Al Green, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Arnold Schwarzenegger) to Z (Zelda Williams).
With Barbara Bush, Bob Dylan, Cal Ripken, Cindy Crawford, Ellen DeGeneres, Hillary Clinton, Hilary Swank, Jerry Seinfeld, John McEnroe, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mary Tyler Moore, Mel Gibson, Mick Jagger, Muhammad Ali, Nicole Kidman, Ray Charles, Robin Williams, Rod Stewart, Rosie O’Donnell, Sting and Tom Cruise in between.
Now, it can include you.
In your home.
Cohl is offering house calls throughout the area.
Haircuts, hair style, makeup, makeup lessons; for weddings, big moments, perhaps a TV appearance or speech — she’s ready for it all.
You don’t need a red carpet to welcome Cohl. Just a front door.
Text 917-848-9596 for an appointment, or more information.
Cohl Katz and a client …
… and now Cohl comes to you.
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The Staples High School Counseling Department helps students find the right college.
On March 5, they’re bringing in a big gun to help.
Higher education expert Jeff Selingo will speak on “Dream School: Finding The College That’s Right For You” (book signing 5:30 p.m., presentation 6 p.m., followed by Q-and-A).
Selingo’s previous book, “Who Gets In and Why,” explored decision-making by university admissions offices. His latest, “Dream School,” shifts the focus toward student agency. The presentation will encourage families to move beyond selectivity, and evaluate colleges through the lenses of fit, value, and long-term outcomes.
Our Public Works Department did the heavy lifting after Monday’s blizzard.
But there’s still work to be done — including 24 miles of sidewalks.
This was the scene yesterday, on Hillspoint Road.
(Photo) Tracy Porosoff)
They’re doing a great job.
But they sure wouldn’t mind if residents with shovels lent a hand outside their own homes, too.
PS: Speaking of snow removal, Billy Cohen sends great thanks to Westport Police Chief David Farrell, for making sure that mounds of snow have been removed from the main (southbound side) parking lot at the Saugatuck train station. (The Westport Police are in charge of parking lots at the Westport and Greens Farms stations.)
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Speaking of Monday’s snowfall: It kept attendance down on Tuesday, at a morning Westport Library event.
But Allan Siegert was there. And he wants “06880” readers to know what they missed. He writes:
“Can AI ever replicate the magic of human actors on a real set? That is what Westport’s own Stéphanie Szostak, who played fashion editor Jacqueline Follet opposite Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ and starred in ‘Iron Man 3’ and ‘A Million Little Things,’ asked AI entrepreneur Eline van der Velden.
“Szostak is a working actress who has lived the experience. van der Velden is trying to recreate through AI, and she wanted to know if it’s even possible.
“Szostak said the finished product may look similar, but the process is fundamentally different. On a real set, she said, it’s the happy accidents, the unplanned collaboration, and the raw human energy between actors that create the magic. She said no prompt can engineer that.
“Van der Velden pushed back, saying filming motion capture for Tilly actually feels more raw and free than a traditional set, less choreographed, more like a rehearsal room, where the focus shifts entirely to craft and energy rather than appearance.
“But Van der Velden acknowledged there will always be a place for 100% human productions — just as filmmakers still shoot on film in a digital age.”
Stephanie Szostak, at the Westport Library. (Photo/Allan Siegert)
Siegert also reports: “Enslaved people in Revolutionary War-era Connecticut faced a choice with no good answer: fight for Patriots who offered no real promise of freedom, or flee to the British side and risk being sold to the brutal Caribbean slave trade if caught.
“That stark dilemma was brought to life yesterday morning by historian Ramin Ganeshram, speaking to the Y’s Men of Westport & Weston.
“Ganeshram — executive director of the Westport Museum for History & Culture, and a George Washington Presidential Library Fellow, noted that enslaved people first arrived in Connecticut in 1639. Many had roots here going back 3 or 4 generations by the time the war began.”
Ramin Ganeshram, at the Y’s Men meeting. (Photo/Ted Horowitz)
A celebration of the life of Jon Gailmor — the 1966 Staples High School graduate and beloved musician/educator/humanist who died November 30 — is set for May 23, from 1 to 6 p.m.
The setting is appropriate: the statehouse lawn in Montpelier, Vermont. He lived in the Green Mountain State for 40 years, and was named an official state treasure for his work with students, and his love for Vermont.
And finally … Eric von Schmidt was not just a very talented painter. He’s included in MoCA\CT’s “Art, Jazz + The Blues” exhibition as a blues and folk singer too, who made a big impact on a young Bob Dylan.
In fact, Dylan name-checks von Schmidt — and talks at length about him — on “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down,” in his debut album. Click here or below to listen.
(Another day, another Roundup, full of news, info and photos. If you like this daily dump of stuff — which takes a ton of time to produce! — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
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.
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.
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.
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In other blizzard news: The Westport Library will open today (Tuesday) at 12 noon. That will give them (and their employees) a little more time to dig out.
The works are very creative, wildly eclectic, and always thought-provoking. The energy level is high. The artists are eager to chat. And the food and drink is free.
The next one is next Tuesday (March 3, 6 to 8 p.m., Sheffer Barn at the Westport Country Playhouse). Broadway music conductor and composer Caren Cole will play.
The gallery is then open March 4-8 (noon to 4 p.m.). An artist talk (on inspiration, medium, process and more) is set for March 8 (4 p.m.).
This show features works by members who recently joined the Collective:
Laura Appelman, Peggy Dembicer, Tim Eaton, Ira Hara, Julie Hicks, Tom Kretsch, Shelly Lowenstein, Paula Morgan, Erwin Ong, Butch Quick,
Jodi Rabinowitz, Elizabeth Hiltz Thomas, Michael Tomashefsky and Rowene Weems. (Some of those names are familiar to “06880” readers, for their wonderful photos.)
Pianist Ted Rosenthal has performed worldwide as a soloist, with his trio, and with greats including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, and James Moody.
He joins a quintet — bassist Martin Wind, drummer Tim Horner, trumpeter Alex Norris and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall — this Thursday, for Jazz at the Post (February 26; shows at 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Post 399). Click here for tickets, and more information.
With all the snow, we need a bird photo to remind us that spring is not far away.
At least, we hope not.
Outstanding wildlife photographer Lou Weinberg snapped this mourning dove, for today’s “Westport … Naturally” feature.
(And yes, it’s “mourning” — not “morning.” The name comes comes from its melancholy coos. But it’s not a sound of grief — it’s a courtship call from the male.)
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.”
(“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!)
Werner Liepolt lives in the Bridge Street Historic District.
He has watched with interest as the District has become part of the discussion around the future of the Cribari Bridge. He writes:
Myth 1: “Historic district status means nothing can be changed.”
Fact: National Register listing does not stop projects. It simply requires that federally involved projects evaluate impacts on historic character and consider alternatives before decisions are finalized.
Myth 2: “This is just one neighborhood trying to protect itself.”
Fact: Federal law requires special review when a project may affect a recognized historic district. The issue isn’t favoritism — it’s whether required federal review standards are being followed properly.
Myth 3: “Historic protections only apply to buildings, not traffic.”
Fact: Under federal review (NEPA and Section 106), agencies must consider indirect effects — including traffic patterns, noise, vibration, and setting — if they could affect a historic district’s character.
Historic District: The 1886 Orlando Allen House, at 24 Bridge Street.
Myth 4: “The bridge is old, so replacement is inevitable.”
Fact: Federal law requires agencies to evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives, including rehabilitation, before deciding on replacement — especially for historic resources.
Fact: Safety improvements can absolutely happen. The requirement is simply that agencies evaluate options carefully and transparently before selecting an approach.
Myth 6: “If traffic is a problem everywhere, the historic district shouldn’t matter.”
Fact: Many areas face traffic concerns, but federally recognized historic districts trigger specific legal review requirements that don’t apply in the same way elsewhere.
18 Bridge Street
Myth 7: “This is about stopping progress.”
Fact: The goal is not to stop change, but to ensure that decisions are made with full information and proper public process, as required under federal law.
Myth 8: “Bridge Street National District is no different than other neighborhoods.”
Fact: It has been recognized nationally, and what happens fall under federal regulations.
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“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.”
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’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.”
Here are 3 facts Westporters should not ignore.
