State Representatives John A. Harkins
and Lawrence G. Miller, and state Senator Dan Debicella
today hailed approval by the State Bond Commission of
a $20 million allocation that will pay for construction
of foundations to support a new Moses Wheeler Bridge
over the Housatonic River between Stratford and Milford.
The bond commission approved the funding at its regular
monthly meeting Friday.
“The Moses Wheeler Bridge is over 50 years old
and has been deteriorating for years,” said Representative
Harkins, R-120th District. “Replacing the bridge
is critical to the safety of both Stratford residents
and commuters. I commend Governor Rell for making this
project one of her priorities for funding under her
$525 million Connecticut Stimulus Package, and the Bond
Commission for approving the allocation. I will continue
to work closely with state Department of Transportation
officials and my legislative colleagues in the Greater
Stratford-Milford area to ensure this important project
is completed on time and with the least amount of disturbance
to residents who live near the site.”
“I applaud Governor Rell for her commitment to
ensuring the safety of area residents and commuters
traveling on I-95. I fully support the Moses Wheeler
bridge replacement project, and I will continue working
with the Department of Transportation to ensure the
project causes the least amount of disruption possible
to Stratford’s Ferry Boulevard neighborhood,”
said Senator Debicella, R-21st District, who held a
public forum on the project in 2007. “Since then
we have had several meetings with DOT officials to make
sure residents’ concerns are taken into account
as the project proceeds.”
“I’d like to thank Governor Rell and the
bond commission for approving the funding needed to
get this badly-needed project underway,” said
Representative Miller, R-122nd District. “The
Moses Wheeler Bridge is one of the worst in Connecticut.
Chunks of concrete have been falling off the side of
the bridge for about 15 years, graphically demonstrating
that it has serious structural problems and is long
overdue for replacement. The quicker the bridge is replaced,
the safer it will be for area motorists and commuters.
”
Representative Harkins and Senator Debicella will be
meeting with DOT officials over the next few weeks to
review the plans and ensure residents’ concerns
are addressed. Those concerns include noise, night work,
and potential adverse effects on the environment, such
as building a holding pond near residents’ homes.
Installation of the foundations will be the first phase
of the $390 million project. The foundation work, which
is expected to cost $57 million (including $33 million
in federal funds), is expected to get underway this
summer and be completed in 2011. During the second phase
of the project, a new replacement bridge will be built
in three sections. Construction of the new Moses Wheeler
Bridge should be completed in 2015.
The state Department of Transportation will be seeking
bids for the foundation work next month. The existing
bridge, which opened in 1958 with three lanes in each
direction, is 3,196 feet long and has 34 spans –
one of the longest in Connecticut.
“The Moses Wheeler Bridge, which carries about
112,400 vehicles a day over the Housatonic River on
I-95, is one of the most heavily-traveled in the state,”
Governor Rell said. “The I-95 corridor is one
of our state’s most important and vital economic
arteries. It is critical that this link be modernized
and carefully maintained.”
The Moses Wheeler Bridge is named for one of Stratford’s
earliest settlers, a shipwright who at one time in the
mid-1600s operated a ferry across the Housatonic River
between Stratford and Milford. He died in 1698 at the
age of 100.
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