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Norwalk’s Most Dangerous Bridge


by turfgrrl


August 3rd, 2007 · 11 Comments

The Courant dove into the bridge inspection story and provides a handy chart detailing the bridges that are rated poor or are at or below the rating of the Minnesota bridge that collapsed.

The Courant reveals that the bridge on route 123 over the Norwalk River received a 2006 inspection ratings on at least three structural areas at or below the rating of the Minnesota bridge. That bridge, according to the chart was built in 1860.

Last night the History channel aired a documentary about bridges collapsing, featuring the 1987 collapse of Schoharie Creek. That bridge collapse due to design failures that exposed the footings of the bridge to become exposed to scour, meaning that the sediment holding the footings was over time, eroded away. CT DOT may have examined CT bridges for scour, but a limited google search did not reveal any substantive documentation, unlike the NY DOT which has been developing inspection programs to combat scour.

Tags: In the News · Transportation

11 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk’s Most Dangerous Bridge”



  • 1 Anonymous // Aug 3, 2007 at 7:53 am

    In reading all the information that has now become news the last 24 hours,one article said bridges that have footings in water are some of the most likely ones to have problems,,does our bridge span the river or has a footing in the river where they will soon dredge some more dirt from?

    The one above a chemical company tank farm on I95 next to our Oyster Shell Park in the middle of our city?

  • 2 Norwalker // Aug 3, 2007 at 8:37 am

    The bridge over 123 is scheduled to be replaced. I heard it will line up better with Ponus Ave. when completed.

  • 3 Ron Morton // Aug 3, 2007 at 2:36 pm

    I worry about the Yankee Doodle Bridge, that is a huge and high span. If you ever walk over it, you can feel it shake each time a truck goes over it. Scary.

  • 4 Anonymous // Aug 3, 2007 at 4:07 pm

    # 1 What are you talking about? The Norwalk harbor was dredged near the Yankee Doodle Bridge, the second phase is the harbor which requires the dredging so our oyster boats, recreational baoters and barges can continue to operate. Or would your prefer that all the businesses shut down and no more recreational boating will exist in Norwalk, plus the contaminated material will be romoved to the sound and capped in CAD cells.
    Of course trained as you are in all environmental and engineering issues you try to imply that by dredging that the footings of the bridge will be weakened and it will all fall in on the so called chemical tank farm, which is nonsense. and the oyster shell park is another toxic time bomb, This site offers more mininformation then the Hour, the Advocate, and any politican that I have ever known. By the way the Yankee Doodle bridge was worked on a while back and had inspectors as recently as last year an will of course be on the inspection list do to the recent tragadey. But my god, implying that the intial dredging could have damaged it, and the second phase miles away in the outer harbor will cause it fall on the tanks and park is just plain planned hysteria to frighten everyone for some political agenda.

  • 5 Anonymous // Aug 3, 2007 at 5:48 pm

    #4 that was the work they did last summer correct, it was taken by barge and capped , now as you said the second phase is on the other side of the RR bridge.Not sure of a political agenda I don’t think anyone cares other than they did a great job and the barges can get down river.You hear a lot about oyster park but if it was bad we would know it I hope by now.Your right no talk about any concern on that bridge which is great for Norwalk.

  • 6 Vet Park Junkie // Aug 3, 2007 at 6:11 pm

    #4, I didn’t read a political agenda in post #1. Just someone who is concerned and doesn’t remember the articles in the Hour.

    With untrained eyes, my boy and I watched the dredging of the inner harbor and we’d listen to the VHF on Sundays so that we could hurry over and watch the railroad bridge open for the dredging barges. In my interactions, the crews were great, knowledgeable, and interesting in talking about their work.

    I did read in the Hour around that time that there were restrictions on how deep they could dredge out of concern for resurrecting crap that should be left alone. Later, after the dredging, my daughter and I did a science experiment on the water from the Wall Street bridge down to the Ischoda Yacht Club. One of our metrics was depth. I was impressed at how uniform it was. Yeah, yeah, yeah, one study – one pass.

    Please don’t let the misinformation and politics turn you off. The politics are going to get hot and heavy with the election. Blogs are like that but there are many who are attempting to glean useful information here. Sounds like you have knowledge that could set us straight. Please share.

  • 7 Mr Greenpeace // Aug 3, 2007 at 7:30 pm

    If I’m not mistaken Vet park Junkie it was Cashman and son from Quincy Mass doing the work in the river.

    Back in 1982 I got to see the fisrt attempt to clean up New Bedford Harbor, the 400 acres or so of contaminated ocean floor.Now after about 140 football fields about 4 feet deep have been dug out they are still with all the scientists,engineers and Ary Corps they still are using new inovative ways to dig contain and remove contamination.

    No one has a clear handle on it the original 15 acres we did in 1990 were tested recently the site was given a clean bill of health, back in 1991,the sediments test just showed about a month ago another story.

    No I don’t think Norwalk has anything to worry about its not New Bedford Harbor there was four companies who made computers, did gov work and made chemicals that dumped into the harbor and landfills all three landfills it was also an industrial city on the rail.

    My only thoughts were while digging in our Norwalk river and not into the real bad dirt just the surfice could they have disturbed anything there from years ago..who knows time will tell.The experts who are working in Norwalk clearly have experience out of the EPA office involved in Norwalk they have worked on all the other superfund sites so I have confidence they will not walk away if they find something,,when they do at last look it will probably be after election so it doesn’t really hold a political value for someone running just the poor bastards swimming in it by shorefront and areas along the river.

    YOur right about heating up,,we have 73 regulated sites in South Norwalk alone that have chemicals and air borne releases,out of that 25 companies have the right or ability to release potentially 100 tons each of
    emissions. I did see a earlier post guess they are worried about a 26th company at 350 ely ave doing the same adding to an already steep figure for one area.

    The Colonial housing paperwork as of today stands incomplete, and So No Electric compnay is only having a procedural compliance voilation that could be even cleared up by now but with Xylenes,Volitile organics, Benzenes and formaldehyde that could be let into the air legally i guess I’d like to know everthing is running write,,I’m not going to confuse this rant with the power station but wouldn’t it be nice we read this in one of the news papers instead of taking my word things are brewing? Things can change to not having an updated website can make us look bad as well.

    I guess we are all going to understand more once the facts are reported no here say no BS just the fact Ma’am would be nice,,but who do we have to report them?

    I only question who has a handle on things, even experts can be wrong,I also think #1 could have been saying current along bridge pilings could harm a foundation, the part about the tank farm,,maybe he heard to many stories about barges hitting bridges along rivers and the proximity of I though was chemicals next to the bridge maybe was his or hers concern,,they only run during the day when weather is good correct here in Norwalk right?

    another rant another night I trust all are keping cool.

  • 8 dem4life // Aug 3, 2007 at 9:51 pm

    Pot holes allow salt and water to weaken supports. I suppose since they are visible we should be concerned.

  • 9 Aunt Bertha // Aug 3, 2007 at 10:17 pm

    I’m not that cool tonight. And I don’t want to go for a swim in the Norwalk River, So keep on checking our Bridges Please my life depends on it!:)

  • 10 Mr Greenpeace // Aug 4, 2007 at 8:46 am

    morning all, I would say because it would seem at this point the tank farm on Ely ave is probably a done deal, and our mayor not to be has made it seem he tried not to have it passed has been written once more by James Walker of the Hour in todays sat paper.Health issues seem to be one of the last ditch efforts to deny such a site on land not suitable for anything but another air emission hazardous site in South Norwalk.Because no thread was clearly established for this subject I’m writing here one more time.

    Only in Norwalk where meetings with officials years ago set this site in motion for something as absurd as a tank farm without actually cleaning it up for future use seems to be a pattern in the city.Where other cities with brownfield parcels are made to clean it up we seem to be looking to enjoy a profit by confusion theory to simply put back another tax incentive over environmental safety.

    Its been said why not this site, I simple say lets see the new brownfiled report the city has spent so much time and money on, so much spin from our elected officials on making sure this report is buried until the site on Ely ave is passed so when it comes time to actually see the other sites that are just as bad just as polluted that may be a better site will be up for new placements of other ill advised projects in the name of better Norwalk.

    I have to admit at least James has started chipping away at logic the city is trying to spoon feed its residents, at least the affordable housing residents have a voice other than James it has the HUD and other groups outside of Norwalk looking into their health and safety one could not expect that concern would come within the city or news sources could we?

    I say this to challenge others who read my crap to show us all the public the residents we can be like other cities and put people first before a slim profit in the beginning until such projects like Ely create another burden on our pubic services.

    I do find it odd how fire DPW and all other dept heads are fine with the fact they have plenty of resources to take care of projects like the tank farm before election day,,I trust after the election there will be the same calm no need to worry attitude when all other projects are coming in epected to enhance population and business and tax numbers for the city.

    becuase of my rants and i do enjoy my all over the board writings,,why is it that most mornings when the alarm goes off at the mansion do we have to have a key holder,,why not a lock box? This last time they found a key holder he was epected to meet the fire dept at 4:30 am driving a public works truck coming from his house to let firefighters in waiting at the door for 15 minutes or so.

    Not the first time folks, I had asked why not a lock box? seems overtime alone for this one call would of paid for itself,,having the alarm system fixed would of paid for itself, having the firefighter with a police officer entering the mansion right away would of paid for itself if there was a fire or broken pipe,,but why ask any of this Norwalk has money to throw away its only the taxpayers who sit and write the blank checks,,anyone want to pay my taxes/? I’ll stop bitching and watch the rest of you pay you seem to enjoy it.

    The Advocate does do a great job in police and court news if we could just give them the tool to report the fire calls we would all see the fire alarms to the mansion each week, and the amount of needless waste they are experiencing as well with our equipment and fuel expense,,but again it would just show waste somewhere other than the schools and why do that its only money the schools can’t get.

    simple thought this morning, for those who didn’t follow my rant or didn’t want to read it so what I say I needed to mark a tree this morning and did.

    Enjoy the weekend I see the city is waking streets are being closed I’m outta here ,,setting the alarm insurance is paid tank is full anyplace but here.

    Mr Greenpeace and family

  • 11 Ron Morton // Aug 4, 2007 at 12:33 pm

    Norwalk always was the Welcome Wagon City for crap that would not be approved in Weston, Westport,Greenwich,or Wilton.

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