East Haddam Swing Bridge Project

The Connecticut Department of Transportation advises the following construction activities for the upcoming week:

Daytime Work:

Roadway:

Town of Haddam

• No Activities.

Town of East Haddam

• Crews will be working on utility installs.

Bridge:

Span 1

• Crews will be installing new bridge rail.

Spans 3 & 4

• Crews will continue conduit install.
• Crews will prep for miscellaneous steel repairs.
• Crews will be working on temporary guide rail installation.
• Crews will continue bridge sidewalk installation.

Pier’s 2 & 3

• Crews will be working on miscellaneous pier repairs.
• Crews will be working on utility installs.
• Crews will be excavating (in water) for future submarine cable install.

Nightime Work:

Bridge:

• Crews will prep for miscellaneous steel repairs.
• Crews will continue with bridge painting.

Vehicular Advisory:

63-Hour Bridge Closure:

• NO 63-hour closure this week.

Overnight Bridge Closures:

• The contractor will be performing overnight bridge closures this week as follows:
• Sun. night (11/19) into Mon. morning – 10pm to 6am
• Mon. night (11/20) into Tues. morning – 7pm to 6am
• Tues. night (11/21) into Wed. morning – 7pm to 6am

Any changes to this schedule will be communicated in a timely manner.

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).

Lane Closures:

• Single lane closures on Route 82 will occur Monday through Wednesday from 9am-3pm within the project limits, traffic flaggers will coordinate the alternating traffic sequence.
• All lanes will be reopened and operational during peak traffic hours.
• Starting on December 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, the rehabilitation of the existing bridge requires a portion of the bridge to be closed, while providing only one lane of traffic for motorist. Temporary traffic signals will regulate the alternating traffic flow on the bridge. Motorists should expect some delays when crossing the bridge during this four-month duration.

Marine Advisory:

• Effective December 1, 2023, the swing span will no longer open to marine traffic, openings will resume on April 1, 2024.

The swing bridge is currently opening on signal (on the hour) for tall marine vessels.

Be advised that on days with high winds, there may be times when the swing span cannot safely open to boaters, when wind gusts are 35 mph or higher, swing span openings will be canceled. Mariners intending to pass through the bridge are encouraged to monitor the wind forecast on their navigation day.

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.

The tide clearance board is recommended as the best reference for gauging clearance at time of passage, the board is located on the bulkhead at Goodspeed, it has 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.

Please be advised:

• Weekend work is not anticipated.
• 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 occur during this 16-ton restriction period.
• Project WEBCAMS for monitoring traffic conditions on the bridge (one on each side of the river) and tide board clearance for maritime are available 24/7, 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.

If you have any questions related to construction, please send an e-mail to [email protected]