Politics & Government

$3M Sought for Maintenance on Frequently Failing Metro-North Railroad Bridge

On Friday, $3 million may be authorized for maintenance to help keep the movable railroad bridge over the Norwalk River working until a replacement can be built.

Gov. Dannel Malloy wants to spend $3 million on extra maintenance to avoid more closures of the railroad bridge over the Norwalk River as the state seeks federal funds to replace it, the Associated Press reports.

The Walk Bridge in Norwalk has frequently failed, causing havoc for commuters using the New Haven Line. Most recently it failed twice within two weeks in late May and early June.

Connecticut transportation officials and officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have examined the bridge further and want federal funds to replace the "turnstile" bridge with one that lifts up for boat traffic on the river. 

In April the state requested $349 million in federal funding to cover 75 percent of the cost of replacing the bridge. The state would pay the other $116 million.

The governor heads the State Bond Commission, which meets Friday to consider a slew of funding proposals. 

According to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, in 2013, the Walk Bridge opened 271 times, and failed 16 of those times.

Norwalk state Sen. Bob Duff and Reps. Chris Perone and Bruce Morris have said that each time the bridge fails, it can disrupt the schedules of more than 141 Metro North and Amtrak trains carrying 125,000 commuters, according to the Associated Press report.


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