DOT unveils preliminary design for replacing borough viaduct

By Gianni Salisbury, Special to The Day
Published: Jun 28, 2025

CT DOT photo

Stonington — The state Department of Transportation will hold a public informational meeting on July 31 to discuss its $48 million plan to replace the viaduct into the borough.

The meeting will be held at Stonington High School at 6:30 p.m. and will include a DOT presentation of the plan and residents will have a chance to ask questions.

The design of the project is currently 15% complete and features a new bridge that will be higher than the current bridge over the Amtrak rail line. The changes will help bring the bridge up to state standards, according to a presentation on the town website. The clearances under the bridge at Mathews and Main streets and Cutler Street are also currently below the minimum standard of 14 feet, 6 inches.

A higher bridge will require steeper approaches to be built, according to DOT spokesperson Eva Zymaris. This will not make the bridge longer, as the DOT plans on keeping the bridge at its current length, around 625 feet.

The project will also adjust the two intersections at each end of the bridge and upgrade the guiderail system to address flooding, safety and functionality. The intersection at Alpha Avenue and Trumbull Avenue will be raised and the intersection at Alpha Ave. and Water Street will be reconfigured, according to Zymaris.

The bridge is necessary as it is the only access for cars to reach the borough and according to the DOT it serves around 6,000 cars per day. Michael Schefers, the borough warden, said he anticipates the new design will have no major impacts on the surrounding areas, but nothing is a definite as it is still very early in the design process. The span is shifted slightly to the north at its eastern end. Retaining walls are also planned along the span.

The design also calls for a 12-foot wide road, 5-foot-wide shoulder and 6-foot wide sidewalk in both directions along the 626-foot-long span.

"Nothing is anticipated to change to the current footprint of the bridge. The town is trying to make as little of an impact as possible to the area surrounding the bridge," Schefers said.

Zymaris stated that although the physical bridge will not impose upon any of the surrounding area, construction will make the project site tight.

"We're speaking with a few property owners, who are under or close to the bridge, about potential impacts. We plan to discuss this at the upcoming Public Informational Meeting," Zymaris said.

During construction, one lane of traffic will be open in each direction over the bridge and pedestrian use will still be available either on the bridge or on the Elm Street pedestrian bridge crossing.

The bridge on Alpha Avenue was built in 1940 and received a major update between 1991 and 1993. The DOT says the bridge is currently in poor condition due to corroding and deterioration of its steel piers. The bridge also does not meet the 22 foot, 6-inch minimum height clearance over the rail line. It is currently 4 feet lower.

A DOT study found that replacing the bridge is the best option to address the problems rather than just making repairs, as a new bridge would be the "most economical option over the life of the bridge."

As for cost, the new bridge will be 80% federally funded, with $1.2 million covered by the town and the remaining balance covered by the state. For the project to go forward, the town will need to get a coastal area management permit, a inland wetlands permit and a stormwater permit.

A timeline for the project calls for the design to be completed by December with construction beginning in November of 2027. The DOT said it anticipates construction to take two years. Along with the town, the State Department of Transportation, CHA Consulting, and Hardesty and Hanover are also working on the project. Their information can be found on the presentation linked on the town website.

Schefers said that so far all parties involved have been working together to create a project that will be best for the town.

"It has been a very positive experience so far, as the designers have listened to the town's concerns on minimizing the impacts construction will have on the surrounding area," he said.

The DOT could not be reached for comment.