Officials Vow To Help Ease Arrigoni Headaches

State lawmakers, local officials and business leaders gathered Monday afternoon near the Arrigoni Bridge and pledged that they would do all they can to make the long-planned $17 million bridge reconstruction project, set to begin tomorrow, as painless as possible.

State Sen. Eileen Daily, D-Westbrook, told the gathering that she and fellow lawmakers from the region, including House Republican Christie Carpino, who represents Portland and Middletown, will do all they can to make sure the state assists the local communities during the 18-month long project.

Daily and Carpino were among about a half dozen officials who held a press conference near the bridge on Monday to discuss the Arrigoni project. Work on the bridge, which will begin tonight, is expected to cause major traffic delays during peak commuter periods in the mornings and afternoons.

Portland First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield and Brian O’Connor, director of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce, joined the two lawmakers.

Shouting over the roar of traffic on nearby Route 66, Daily and Carpino said they intend to speak with officials at the state’s Department of Transportation biweekly to ensure that the bridge work runs smoothly.

“We’re going to make sure that everything that can be done is being done,” Daily said. “We’re hopeful that when this project starts everything will go as smoothly as possible.”

“This is an important project for the entire region,” Carpino added. “Rest assured that we will be working as quickly as possible to get this project done.”

The bridge work will include replacing the entire roadway deck of the bridge. Starting overnight tonight, two of the bridge’s four lanes will be closed, limiting traffic to one lane in each direction.