I-95 bridge finished ahead of schedule
STAMFORD — The bridge replacement project near Exit 9 on I-95 was completed quickly and efficiently with minimal traffic delays, state officials said Sunday.
The highway was reopened at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, but on- and off-ramps in both directions at Exit 9 and Route 1 between Courtland and Seaside avenues will remain closed until Monday at 5 a.m., state officials said.
Vehicles were detoured off the highway over the past two weekends as crews demolished and replaced two spans that carry Route 1 (East Main Street) over the highway in one of the most congested areas in the state.
The detours were to continue through Monday at 5 a.m., but crews worked rapidly, using an innovative bridge installation method, officials said. After the spans were torn down, workers slid in replace
ments using a method called “accelerated bridge construction,” a news release said.
The spans had to be replaced because they had outlasted their life cycles, officials said.
Under conventional construction practices, Gov. Ned Lamont said, such a project would have taken two years, causing daily traffic delays.
“We really must give applause to the DOT staff, construction crews and state and local law enforcement who were involved in this complex and innovative project,” Lamont said. “Over the last two weekends, we saw the complete demolition of two bridge spans and the sliding in of new ones in what felt like the blink of an eye – and this all happened on the heaviest traveled section of highway in our state, on a weekend in the summer.”
There were minimal traffic backups, officials said, mostly because drivers heeded warnings to avoid the area.
Torrington-based O&G Industries was the lead contractor.