Submitted by Sara Mendillo
(August 27, 2023) — The Connecticut Department of Transportation advises the following construction activities at the Swing Bridge between Haddam and East Haddam for the upcoming week of August 27, 2023:
Temporary Road Closure (Bridge Road) August 29, 2023:On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, there will be three deliveries of 100-foot long bridge beams to the project site. Each delivery will require a closing of Bridge Road (Route 82) from the intersection at Saybrook Road (Route 154) to the Swing Bridge. The exact time of each road closure is uncertain, and the closures are not anticipated to be for an extended length of time, but temporary delays should be anticipated each time a trailer begins its turn onto Bridge Road (Route 82). Update for Boaters: The section of suspended scaffold beneath the bridge in Span 4 (the channel that is closest to the East Haddam shoreline) has been reinstalled. Please pay special attention to the tide clearance boards for gauging clearance at the time of passage.
The schedule for bridge openings for tall marine vessels is as follows:
- Monday through Thursday at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
- Friday through Sunday at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.
-These scheduled openings will be in place until further notice. –Boaters are advised that the swing span is still in a state of disrepair and that each of these openings will require monitoring by a team of engineers, if during an opening, the team witnesses anything that potentially puts the bridge at risk, the remaining swing openings would be canceled. –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 to the contractor’s suspended scaffold. –Navigational beacons have been installed on the bridge to designate the channel.
63-Hour Bridge Closure:
- Full bridge closure to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians will continue during the upcoming week. The scheduled time of closure is Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. until Wednesday August 30, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.
In addition to this week’s 63-hour closure, there will be overnight bridge closures on Wednesday night, August 30, 2023 and Thursday night, August 31, 2023 as follows:
- Wednesday night (8/30/23) into Thursday morning (8/31/23) – 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Thursday night (8/31/23) into Friday morning (9/1/23) – 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
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.
