Maritime Alert – March 20, 2024
The Connecticut Department of Transportation announces the following:
The rehabilitation of the East Haddam Swing Bridge will be continuing through the 2024 boating season, openings for tall marine vessels will again be performed on a limited basis per an approved Coast Guard temporary deviation.
Under this temporary deviation, the Route 82, East Haddam Swing Bridge will limit bridge openings to mariners from April 1, 2024, through August 31, 2024,
to the following schedule:
- Sunday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
- Monday openings at 10am and 2pm.
- Tuesday openings at 10am and 2pm.
- Wednesday openings at 10am and 2pm.
- Thursday openings at 10am and 2pm.
- Friday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
- Saturday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
Additionally, the bridge will be closing for 63-hour durations (Sun. 8pm. to Wed. 11am) this Spring on the following dates:
- April 14 through April 17.
- April 21 through April 24.
- April 28 through May 1.
- May 5 through May 8.
- May 12 through May 15.
During 63-hour bridge closures, the bridge will remain in the closed position, no boat openings will occur. (CLICK HERE to review closure calendar)
If a scheduled 63-hour closure is canceled, the closure will occur the following week.
Mariners are advised that on weeks that 63-hour bridge closures occur, the bridge openings will be as followings:
- Sunday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
- Monday NO openings.
- Tuesday NO openings.
- Wednesday NO openings.
- Thursday openings at 10am and 2pm.
- Friday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
- Saturday openings at 10am, 2pm, and 5pm.
Inclement weather and other unforeseen circumstances have the potential to impact the actual dates of these 63-hour closures. A mariner notice will be issued at least 24-hours prior to the start of a cancellation.
Be advised that the swing span is still working through the testing stage for swinging, on days when gusts are 25 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 and call the bridge operator.
Under normal tide levels the approximate vertical clearance to the contractor’s scaffold is as follows:
- Low tide clearance is about 18’-8”
- High tide clearance is about 16’-8”
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 in locations of the contractor’s suspended scaffold.
Be advised that in the location where the contractor has removed their scaffolding, there is approximately 3 feet of additional clearance.
A tide board WEBCAM for monitoring the clearance is viewable from our project website homepage on Camera 3.
The bridge operator can be reached at 860-218-4973.