Mar 26, 2008
Governor seeks money for Indian Field Road bridge
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Gov. M. Jodi Rell is seeking $8.4 million from the state’s Bond Commission to do needed work on the Indian Field Road overpass to Interstate 95.
The project, which would lift the overpass up higher to allow larger trucks to safely travel underneath it and widen the structure, would be paid for entirely with state money if approved by the commission. The commission is set to meet tomorrow to consider the money as part of an overall agenda of nine bridge projects, with a total price tag of $45 million, throughout the state. The commission will also look at $30 million for five state road projects.
According to the state’s Department of Transportation, there are structural deficiencies because the concrete deck is beginning to deteriorate and a section of the steel beams has “been exposed to the elements and [is] beginning to exhibit wear.”
However, town Commissioner of Public Works Lloyd Hubbs told the Post on Monday that drivers should have no concerns about driving the heavily used connection to I-95.
“The structural integrity of the bridge is fine,” Mr. Hubbs said. “All this is going to do is raise the bridge up so bigger vehicles will be able to get under it and widening it just a bit. We’re not adding any lanes or anything like that. The reason this is being done now is because the bridge is substandard because of state requirements. There’s no safety issue.”
Mr. Hubbs said this is a project the state had been eying for more than two years. As part of the project, a traffic light would be installed at the northbound off-ramp.
If the bond is approved tomorrow, construction would likely begin in late May. Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the DOT, told the Post the project would not be completed until next year, and while there is no official timeline in place, he said, the intention is to have everything done by November 2009.
While the bridge is heavily used by drivers, the construction plan would allow for a lane in each direction to remain open at all times. Garo Garabedian, the town’s traffic engineer, said Tuesday he didn’t believe there would be any impact on traffic and there are no plans for detours.
This is an entirely state-driven project and the town isn’t on the hook for any of the cost; therefore, it doesn’t need to be approved by any town boards.
“I have committed millions of dollars to projects to ensure that our roadways and bridges are safe,” said Ms. Rell in a statement issued last week. “When I launched my transportation initiative last year, these types of projects are the ones that I was looking to change. Not only will this project result in a structure that is safer and conforms to today’s engineering standards, it also addresses a safety issue on I-95 by allowing larger trucks to safely navigate underneath this bridge without forcing them to jump lanes to clear the structure.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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