West Street Bridge Replacement to Affect 5,500 Cars Daily

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting about the replacement of the West Street Bridge over Providence and Worcester Railroad in Middletown Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.

Bridge replacement work is anticipated to begin in spring 2016 using federal and state funds.

"This is a good opportunity for the public to learn about the project and voice their opinions," said State Sen. Paul Doyle (D-Wethersfield).

“This is an opportunity for public input and we want to hear from residents,” said State Rep. Joe Serra (D-Middletown).

“The West Street Bridge is a major concern to Middletown area residents,” said State Rep. Matt Lesser (D-Middletown). “I'm glad to see the Department of Transportation taking affirmative steps to rebuild this obsolete infrastructure. I hope community members take full advantage of the opportunity to participate in the planning process.”

The project is designed to address the bridge’s deteriorating structure and improve functionality. The bridge is structurally deficient due to the poor condition of the superstructure and the bridge is functionally obsolete due to inadequate bridge deck width, according to the DOT.

The bridge carries one lane of traffic in each direction and on average, 5,500 vehicles use this bridge each day.

During construction, West Street will be closed at the bridge and traffic will be detoured via Route 157 to Wadsworth Street. Route 157 is a two-lane road with an estimated 2012 average daily traffic of 1,900 vehicles. Wadsworth Street is a two-lane local road.

To review the plans, contact Joseph Scalise at (860) 594-3389 or Joseph.Scalise@ct.gov.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in Middletown City Hall Council Chambers, 245 deKoven Drive, and is an opportunity for public participation and allow open discussion concerning the proposed projects.

Do you travel this bridge? What do you think of its replacement? Tell us in the comments below.