Bethel Plumtrees-Walnut Hill Bridge Project is Underway

BETHEL, CT-- The Town Of Bethel announced Tuesday that preparations have begun for the start of construction of the new Plumtrees Bridge at the intersection of Whittlesey, Plumtrees and Walnut Hill Road.

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First Selectman Matthew Knickerbocker said:

"It's great to finally have this long overdue project under way. It will take two years, but when it's done, the rush hour traffic tie-ups will be a thing of the past."

Knickerbocker told Patch in 2012 that the project had been shelved several times over 12 years (now 16 years). “In the late 1990's, the state was set to repair the bridge, and all they were going to do was widen it,” he said.

A new design was implemented by former First Selectman Judy Novachek because "simply replacing the bridge in its current configuration would do nothing to alleviate the rush hour traffic congestion," he stated.

“They had to get permits from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, from the fisheries, Inland Wetlands, Department of Transportation; I think even the Army Corp of Engineers, because there are numerous biological and archeological studies,” Knickerbocker said.

“We had to change the slope for box turtles, and before you even lift the shovel, the State Archeologist has to check to make sure there are no traces of Native American remains or other historical artifacts,” Knickerbocker said.

Local photographer Peter Lerman recently photographed a historic bridge (pictured) near the one that is being replaced and is concerned the project will negatively affect the "hidden gem."

"It would be a shame on this town if this bridge was demolished. Once upon a time, I discovered, there was a large, beautiful fountain in P.T. Barnum square. It was a gift to the town from P T Barnum himself. Now it exists only in old photographs.and post cards," Lerman said. "We could demolish this bridge but we could also scrap the doughboy and put a Shake Shack in the square. Think how cool it would be if we kept these pieces of our heritage instead of tearing them down and throwing them away as styles change."

Bethel Historical Society President Pat Rist said "the railroad bridge is not part of the new Plumtrees Bridge project so there are no worries." She continued, "We at the Historical Society are creating Tour Boxes for Bethel and this bridge will have a Tour Box on the School property."

Rist said the Historical Society will reach out to landscapers to clean up the site, which she said has not been cleared in over 20 years. "It is on Town property and, of course, will need Town approval," she stated.

The new bridge will help ease congestion at the heavily traveled roadway. With the new plans, Whittlesey will bend to the right and Walnut Hill will bend to the left, connecting the roads and alleviating the number of turns a driver makes coming out of the school campus headed toward Walnut Hill.

The Town of Bethel announced on their Facebook page that brush and tree cutting will begin the week of March 14. The current bridge will remain open during construction. A groundbreaking is being planned for early April, according to the town.

Photos by Peter Lerman.

Editor's note: The stone railroad bridge pictured is not the bridge being replaced. There are 2 bridges right next to each other.