Merritt Avenue Bridge to be Replaced

Each spring, residents of the West River neighborhood hold their breath in anticipation of the river flooding up and over the Merritt Avenue Bridge. Usually there is another way out of the neighborhood--over the Bradley Street bridge--but after that bridge was closed for flooding early this month, residents are even more anxious to see this project get going.

The State Department of Transportation and Cardinal Engineering held a public information session Monday evening at Woodbridge Town Hall where those overseeing the project explained the remedial options.

Cardinal was contracted by the town in 2007 to examine the bridge and subsequently announced that the bridge did need to be replaced. Over the past four years, the situation has gotten no better for West River residents.

"Given the nature of the property, this area could become an island," said First Selectman Edward Sheehy. He asked the DOT to consider expiditing the process that has been going on for four years. At Monday's meeting, the DOT said an April 2013 start date was likely. "We can't wait any longer," Sheehy said.

Engineers laid out three options for the residents: to re-construct a bridge made of concrete deck units and eliminate a center beam under the bridge; to build a bridge similar to the first option, only made of steel beam; or a cost-prohibitive project that would mean raising the bridge eight-feet to realign it with surrounding streets, bringing it to above a 100-year flood level. The third option would result in what the state calls two 'total takes' of neighboring property.The first option, which will cost $1.6 million funded through an 80/20 grant from the federal government and the town, was agreed upon as the way to go at Monday's meeting. It will require the 'take' of a neighboring garage, and the property owner will be reimbursed the cost to rebuild the garage when construction of the bridge is complete.

Because the elevation of the bridge above the river is not going to change, residents were concerned that flooding will still occur. According to Cardinal Engineering Project Manager David Arzt, the span of the bridge will be widened about nine feet and the 3.5 foot center beam in the river below will be removed. The beam is notorious for catching debris and large branches, serving as hindrance to water passing freely below the road.

It is actually a problem far below the water that is causing the need to replace the bridge. As Arzt explained, the bridge is scour critical, which means that as water rushes by, it swirls the dirt at the base of the bridge supports, wearing away at it.

The project will take one construction season, or about eight months, to complete, once title searches, and easements are obtained. According to DOT engineer Joe Scalise, the project could take as much as 14 months of application review and planning.

"This process takes so long as it is," said Sheehy.

"It could be as smooth as a seven month process," replied Scalise. "With an ambitious effort, we can start in June 2012."