Norwalk rail bridge takes an army to keep running
Leading the way on an up-and-down journey around the girders, steel walkways and angled planks of the underbelly of the railroad bridge over the Norwalk River, state Department of Transportation Assistant Rail Director John Bernick pointed out the 118-year-old span's age-related problems.
A massive set of oil-blackened gears near the center of the bridge is central to the mechanism that rotates the span out of the way when boats need to get by, he said Wednesday during a tour of the bridge. "It does everything," Bernick said, an early summer breeze blowing by as the river slid past below. The gears set in motion all of the things that have to happen to allow the bridge to move out of the way to allow boats through, and to close again to let trains cross the river. They were the cause of the two most recent mechanical failures that left the bridge stuck open for hours at a time, preventing all trains from getting past. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Hartford breaks ground on $21M transportation
Construction crews broke ground this week on a slew of pedestrian and public transportation renovations around BushnellPark that officials say will provide better acess between Union Station and Main Street. Mayor Pedro Segarra said in a statement that the $21 million "intermodal triangle project" is the first major step of iQuilt, an urban design plan meant to better connect downtown's cultural attractions. The intermodal triangle renovations will improve sidewalks, bus stops and roadways around Union Station, expand pedestrian areas around State House Square, widen the sidewalk on the north side of the park to a promenade, and enhance crosswalks and other amenities on Asylum and Pearl streets. The project has received $11 million in federal funds, with the city is kicking in the rest. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
I-84 in Southington reopens early after bridge replacement is completed
SOUTHINGTON — I-84 in Southington reopened Sunday night, hours ahead of schedule after a weekend bridge replacement project. The highway was shut down at 9 p.m. Friday so that workers could begin demolishing the bridges that carried the highway over Marion Avenue. The new bridges had been constructed on site and were then moved into position over the weekend. The Department of Transportation initially promised to have work completed by 5 a.m. Monday, but was able to reopen the eastbound lanes more than 12 hours ahead of schedule at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The westbound lanes also reopened ahead of schedule, at 8:21 p.m. DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said department staff worked to anticipate every possible problem and had backup plans in place. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE