Swing Bridge Update July 17, 2023

Submitted by Sara Mendillo

(July 17, 2023) — The Connecticut Department of Transportation advises the following construction activities for the upcoming week:
 
Daytime Work:
 
Roadway:
 
Town of Haddam

• Crews will continue with retaining wall construction along the southside of Route 82.

Town of East Haddam

• Crews will continue with retaining wall construction along the southside of Route 82.

Bridge:

• Crews will continue with bottom chord repairs on Span 2.
• Crews will continue with Span 2 bridge painting.
• Crews will be installing conduit on the Swing Span.
• Crews will continue with temporary guard rail installation on Span 3.
• Crews will be performing repair work on Pier 2.
• Crews will continue with repair work of the swing span’s mechanical and electrical systems.

Nighttime Work:
             
Bridge:

• Crews will be prepping for span 2 deck replacement.
• Crews will be testing the gantry crane.
• Crews will continue with existing guard rail removal on span 3.
• Crews will continue with temporary guard rail installation on span 3.

Vehicular Advisory:
 
Overnight Bridge Closures:
 
The 63-hour bridge closure scheduled for this week has been CANCELLED.  The 63-hour bridge closures will resume Sunday July 23, 2023 at 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise advised.
 
Be advised that in lieu of a 63-hour closure this week, overnight full closures will occur through Wednesday (7/19) at the following times:

• Sun. night into Mon. morning – 10:00pm to 6:00am
• Mon. night into Tues. morning – 7:00pm to 6:00am
• Tues. night into Wed. morning – 7:00pm to 6:00am
• Wed. night into Thur. morning – 11:00pm to 6:00am

Lane Closures:

• Single lane closures on Route 82 will occur Wednesday through Friday between 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. within the project limits, traffic flaggers will coordinate the alternating traffic sequence.
• All lanes will be reopened and operational during peak traffic hours.

Marine Advisory:
 
Beginning Monday, July 17, 2023, the schedule for bridge openings for tall marine vessels will be as follows:

• Monday through Thursday at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm.
• Friday through Sunday at 10am, 1pm, 4pm, and 6pm.

These scheduled openings will be in place until further notice.
 
Boaters are advised that the swing span is still in a state of disrepair, if during an opening, something occurs that could potentially put the bridge at risk, all future openings will be canceled until further notice.
 
Also, the contractor has temporarily removed a portion 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.
 
Please be advised:

• Weekend work is not anticipated.
• Click here to read full details on 63-hour bridge closure schedule.
• 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.
• Effective November 11, 2022, any trucks that exceed 16 tons are restricted from using the East Haddam Swing Bridge, until further notice. Routine enforcement by the Connecticut State Police and Department of Motor Vehicles will continue to occur during this 16-ton restriction period.
• Project traffic WEBCAMS (one on each side of the river) are available 24/7 to monitor the traffic conditions at the bridge, the camera feeds are viewable from our project website homepage.
• Road signage will alert drivers to lane closures in the construction area. Please pay attention to road signage, slow down, and stay safe!
• Access to local businesses and residents within the work zones will be maintained.
• Unforeseen circumstances have the potential to impact all scheduled construction activities.
• The construction work is currently on schedule.  

DETOUR INFO
 
Motorist alternative options to cross the Connecticut River during these overnight bridge closures will be as follows:

• Traveling to/from the South – Use the signed detour utilizing the Baldwin Bridge (I-95 Old Saybrook).
• Traveling to/from the North – utilize the Arrigoni Bridge (Middletown-Portland).