Mosher Ave. Bridge replacement

Notes from Noank by Ed and Lacy Johnson

A Brief History of Noank's Mosher Avenue Bridge

(The following article is excerpted from the 10/14/21 Edition of Mystic
TIMES, div. of NL DAY. Refer to the print edition of the TIMES for more
detail.)

In the early 1900's, electric trolley cars were the common form of
public transportation. Back when Noank was a major shipbuilding center, a
trolley system was initiated in 1904 and expanded as the G & S
railway, running through Groton, Noank, Mystic and Stonington, to
Westerly. Back then, the only two access roads into Noank Village were
via Elm Street to Main Street and Spicer Avenue to the bottom of Ward
Avenue. Both of those track-level access points became restricted and
are now fully closed off by the high-voltage railroad system.

The trolley track route entered the village from what are now Marsh Road
and Sylvan Street, across Main Street onto what became Ward Avenue and,
pivoting left, on an open girder bridge over what is now the AMTRAK RR
line. The trolleys then basically followed the shore northeast to
Mystic. In 1928, because motor vehicles grew in popularity, the G &
S trolley went out of business. The Girder Bridge ownership was
deferred to the Town of Groton and was ultimately turned over to the
State of CT.

Then, in 1936, the trolley bridge became a newly designed steel girder
structure for motor vehicles, creating Mosher Avenue as the primary
connecting access road between Elm Street and the Village, following the
old trolley tracks. The structure covered a 100 foot span and 30 foot
deck width, utilizing a steel girder floor-beam system with concrete
cast-in-place. Utility connections (water, power, phone & cable)
were eventually carried along this structure as well to service the
village.

In 1993, a needed reconstruction was effected, where alternating traffic
was used, but the bridge still remained open for traffic. The
inspection also indicated the structure would soon need full replacement
and a February 2018 review then confirmed the 82 year old bridge was
in poor condition and needed to go.

Then, early in 2021, there was a decision; to remove the existing
structure by sections and replace it with 5 separate pre-cast beams. The
revised cost by contractor Manafort was reported as circa $7.4 million.
The original plan also involved building a smaller, separate overhead
utility pipe bridge over the RR tracks, moving the utilities from the
existing bridge into that pipe during construction, then moving the
utilities back onto the new bridge upon completion.

This project could not interfere with existing AMTRAK train schedules.
The only time span open to major work over the tracks and high-voltage
lines was between 12 midnight to 6 AM. So now the bridge remains closed
to all traffic until December. With the new span in place, there will
be alternating one-way traffic to finish off details and move the
utilities back onto the new span. Alternating traffic lights will be
used and then the intersection is supposed to become a 3-way traffic
stop for improved safety.

The bridge closure required a change in traffic flow, with Marsh Road as
now the only village access, affecting Terrace Avenue, Marsh Road,
Sylvan Street, High Street and Main Street. A one-way counter- clockwise
traffic flow has frustrated some drivers. Mercifully, summer tourist
season is winding down and it will be nice when Mosher Avenue is opened
up again.

The bridge construction has drawn viewer interest, especially with the
arrival of a large twin-boom crane, along with large 100 foot beams
parked at Esker Point. The crane will help remove existing bridge
sections and load them onto trailers. With sections removed, new ones
will be placed on the RR span. Resembling a giant erector set, it will
be an interesting "aerial ballet" to watch....if folks have nothing else
to do at 3 AM....and can't sleep anyway because of all the noise.

In the process of clearing trees to create work space just west of the
bridge, two black locust trees were removed and donated to the Mystic
Seaport to be used in the restoration of the fishing schooner, L.A.
Dunton.

In closing, we extend our sympathies to folks and animal life living
near the bridge, as they listen to the late night banging, clanging and
train warning horns. Somebody once said that "doing something good is
never very easy." This might be one of those times.