By CONNDOT.
(May 4, 2023)—The Connecticut Department of Transportation announces the following:
On Sunday, May 7, 2023, the bridge tender will be preforming swing span test openings to boaters, there will be four (4) openings occurring on the hour (9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.).
Boaters are advised that the swing span is still in a state of disrepair and that each of these test swings will require monitoring by a team of engineers, if during a test swing, the team witnesses anything that potentially puts the bridge at risk, the remaining test swing openings would be canceled. Be advised, that if the four test openings are accomplished and the engineers are confident that additional swing openings can occur, more will be scheduled in the coming days/weeks. (additional openings will be announced)
Also, the contractor has temporarily removed approximately 50 feet of their suspended scaffold to provide additional vertical clearance for boats that generally do not require the bridge to swing opening to pass through. The temporary scaffold removal was done in the channel that is closest to the East Haddam shoreline.
The tide clearance boards are recommended as the best reference for gauging clearance at time of passage, the boards are located on the swing span pivot pier and the bulkhead at Goodspeed, both have been adjusted to reflect the vertical clearances in locations of the contractor’s suspended scaffold. Be advised that there is approximately 3 feet of additional clearance in the location where the scaffold was temporarily removed.
Navigational beacons have been installed on the bridge to designate the channel.
