| Submitted by Sara Mendillo
(March 21, 2024) — The Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced the following advisory for boaters on the Connecticut River: The rehabilitation of the Haddam/East Haddam Swing Bridge (Route 82) will be continuing through the 2024 boating season. Openings for tall marine vessels will again be performed on a limited basis per an approved Coast Guard temporary deviation. Under this temporary deviation, the Swing Bridge will limit bridge openings to mariners from April 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024, to the following schedule:
Additionally, the bridge will be closing for 63-hour durations (Sundays at 8:00 p.m. to Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.) on the following dates:
During 63-hour bridge closures, the bridge will remain in the closed position. No openings for boats will occur. If a scheduled 63-hour closure is cancelled, the closure will occur the following week. Mariners are advised that on weeks when 63-hour bridge closures occur, the bridge openings will be as follows:
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Inclement weather and other unforeseen circumstances have the potential to impact the actual dates of these 63-hour closures. A mariner notice will be issued at least 24-hours prior to the start of a cancellation.
As occurred during last year’s boating season, the contractor will be removing a portion of the scaffolding to provide additional clearance for boats. The removal of this scaffolding is scheduled to occur by the end of March.
The tide clearance board is recommended as the best reference for gauging clearance at time of passage. The board is located on the bulkhead at Goodspeed. It has been adjusted to reflect the vertical clearances to the contractor’s suspended scaffold.
Once the bridge openings resume in April, the bridge operator can be reached at 860-218-4973.
Text Alerts
- You can sign up for Text Alerts to receive notifications on bridge closures and re-openings, closure cancellations, and any emergency closures. To opt in, text the word SWINGBRIDGE to 888777. (Message and Data rates may apply). In addition to SMS messages, if you would like to receive Swing Bridge open/closed status notices via email or a voice call from Everbridge, please click here to enter the required information. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out.
