Greenwich Celebrates Completion Of Sound Beach Avenue Bridge Project

GREENWICH, CT — There was a celebratory mood in Old Greenwich's Binney Park on Wednesday, as the town officially marked the completion of the Sound Beach Avenue bridge replacement project with a ribbon-cutting event.

The bridge, which is located adjacent to Binney Park, was originally built in 1925, and although some alterations were made to it over the years, it had fallen into disrepair and needed to be replaced.

Flooding around the bridge was also an area of concern. Structural and hydraulic deficiencies were corrected, and additional drainage structures were added to improve runoff.

A sidewalk was relocated from the east side of the bridge to the interior of the crossing, and new landscaping was implemented on all four corners of the bridge.

The Greenwich Department of Public Works also installed new accessible pedestrian signal devices at crosswalks with rectangular rapid-flashing beacons to assist low-vision or blind pedestrians cross the street in the vicinity of the bridge.

Five new decorative crosswalks were also added, along with a new curb and sidewalk, and new landscaping for the nearby outdoor reading room area.

Overall, the project cost $2.5 million and was funded through the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

"It's not only a more beautiful bridge and one that functions better, it's going to make this whole area safer and more pedestrian friendly, which is something that is key to our vision here in town," First Selectman Fred Camillo said during brief remarks Wednesday. A crowd of about 25 people gathered. "I want everybody out and about and walking, but I want them to do it safely."

Greenwich DPW Deputy Commissioner James Michel, who started working in town in 2011, said the bridge had been one of his longest-standing projects. The town began the design phase for the bridge in late 2011, early 2012, Michel said.

"It's been a long time coming. It's nice to see it finally completed," Michel remarked Wednesday.

The bridge accommodates approximately 14,500 vehicles per day, and because it's located on a main artery in Old Greenwich, Michel said the town carefully considered the construction process and the severity of road closures.

The project employed Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to reduce road closure time. Construction began in April 2022, and Sound Beach Avenue was only closed until July 1, 2022.

While there were some hiccups along the way, like having to work around underground utilities, Michel praised DPW personnel and A. Vitti Excavators, the contractor for the project, for completing work in about a year.

"We worked very closely with the residents of Old Greenwich and neighbors to come up with an acceptable bridge here, and I think we did a nice job in accomplishing that while meeting the needs of the town with a more structurally sound bridge, meeting the pedestrian needs and also improving it for flood control, too," Michel said.

Project Manager Gabriella Circosta-Cohee was all smiles on Wednesday. She pointed out that the bridge is the only one in town out of 85 bridges that has a sidewalk on both sides.

"It came out beautiful," she said. "It makes me happy to see the community happy."