The new Fairfield Avenue Bridge that rests over Interstate 95 in Norwalk is now finally open to traffic, ahead of schedule and under budget, months after a fiery crash made the previous bridge structurally unsound.
State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff said residents in the area are already expressing gratitude that the bridge is finished.
“I had somebody as I was walking here, just stop me and say, ‘Thank you,” Duff said.
Gov. Ned Lamont and various other state, local and federal officials celebrated the new bridge with a ribbon cutting Monday.
“Today marks a significant milestone for the Norwalk community and the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on this critical highway,” Lamont said.
The bridge was built in a seven month timespan, almost immediately after a traffic accident in May caused a serious fire, badly burning the overpass.
The bridge would be demolished later, and construction led to serious traffic delays as workers spent months — mostly during the overnight hours — building the new bridge.
According to Lamont’s office, the bridge, expected to cost around $20 million, ended up costing around $16 million.
It was expected to reopen in spring 2025, not December. The federal government, according to the governor’s office, is expected to pay for 80% of the total costs.
Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner for the state’s Department of Transportation, said the early opening reflected the speedy work of federal and state government and local contractors.
“Every partner on this project overperformed the ambitious deadlines we set in May. This is a remarkable achievement and demonstrates what we can get done for the traveling public when federal, state and local partners share a common purpose,” Eucalitto said.
But while the bridge is cause for celebration to commuters on and below the bridge, it's also a relief for locals who were forced to use other routes to enter Connecticut Avenue. Duff said he’s heard from several residents, frustrated over the bridge closure.
“As somebody who lives in Norwalk myself and have seen the traffic back up all the time and see the inconvenience that people have had to go through, it has been a burden,” Duff said.
