Senator Dan Debicella and Representative
John Harkins Help Secure Funding for Phase 1
State Senator Dan Debicella (R-21) reports that work
is scheduled to begin on the first phase of the much-anticipated
replacement of the Moses Wheeler Bridge that carries
I-95 traffic over the Housatonic River between Stratford
and Milford.
“State DOT officials have told me that work is
beginning on the first phase of this project this week.
This part of the project involves building the foundations
that will support the new bridge. The second phase of
the project will involve actually reconstructing the
bridge and the approaches,” said Senator Debicella.
Senator Debicella and Representative John Harkins (R-120)
of Stratford worked to secure funding for the project,
and to make sure that neighborhood concerns were taken
into account in the design of the project.
“Ensuring the safety of our motorists is the
top priority, and we need to ensure that the Moses Wheeler
Bridge meets all safety standards,” said Debicella.
“But at the same time we want to make sure construction
is not disruptive to families in the Ferry Boulevard
area of Stratford next to the bridge.”
“While the Moses Wheeler Bridge is not in imminent
danger of collapse, it has been deteriorating for years,
has serious structural problems, and needed to be replaced
to ensure the safety of Stratford and Milford residents
and the thousands of I-95 commuters who use it almost
every day. Replacing the Moses Wheeler Bridge with a
new state of the art structure has been one of my top
priorities for several years. I’m very pleased
that the foundation work on the new bridge is underway
and on schedule,” Harkins said. “I will
continue to carefully monitor progress on the new bridge
as work continues to make sure it is completed on time
and with the least amount of inconvenience to Ferry
Boulevard residents who live near the construction site.”
Debicella and Harkins voted in favor of the 2007 state
bond package, which included initial funding for the
Moses Wheeler Bridge project. In January, the State
Bond Commission released $20 million to help finance
construction of the foundations for the new bridge.
The two legislators also hosted a town meeting in Stratford
in 2007 on the plans, and worked with the DOT to ensure
that neighborhood concerns were taken into account as
much as possible.
“The Moses Wheeler Bridge is one of the longest
and most heavily traveled bridges in the state. It has
served us well for more than 50 years, but this bridge
has been in disrepair for a long time now and replacing
it is the only sensible and responsible option. I will
continue to work with Governor Rell, the DOT and area
legislators to see this project through with the least
amount of disruption possible for commuters and area
neighborhoods,” said Debicella.
Senator Debicella said that state DOT officials expect
the first phase of the project to be finished by September
2011. If all goes as planned, construction on the new
bridge should be completed by 2015.
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