State to Shut Down Westport's North Avenue Bridge for Months

Westport, CT - The North Avenue Bridge, which spans the Merritt Parkway, will close to all traffic beginning June 20, and is not expected to reopen until Aug. 25, the Connecticut Department of Transportation recently told town officials.

ConnDOT crews have been working on the bridge for more than a year, and have temporarily shut it down for a few days at a time. But this long of a shut down could be frustrating for residents, a fact First Selectman Jim Marpe lamented Tuesday.

“I am very disappointed that the nature of the construction now requires full closure of the Bridge. However, safety is the first priority," said Marpe in a statement. "Expediency is important as well. While this is a project that is controlled and managed by the CT DOT, this office, along with the Department of Public Works, has made every attempt to work with DOT to expedite these repairs and to minimize the impact to Westport residents and traffic patterns in Town.”

Though the bridge is expected to reopen on Aug. 25, overall work will continue for at least a couple of weeks after that. 

Detour notices will be in place, residents are urged to seek alternate routes and to allow for additional travel time in that area.

Due to unforeseen engineering problems and safety concerns surrounding the repair, the original completion date was extended, according to town officials. Work ceased for the winter months and the bridge was limited to alternating single lane traffic. The construction and repair work is commencing once again, and now requires that the bridge be fully closed.

“We will closely monitor the repair activities to insure that the bridge can be reopened before school begins in August," Marpe added. "We will continue to look for opportunities for the bridge to be opened whenever possible during the construction process and will to the best of our capabilities attempt to inform residents of the progress. I want to thank all those affected by this construction for your continued cooperation and patience.”

Image via Shutterstock