“It is beyond time to address the structural deficiencies, for sure,” said Priti Bhardwaj, the lead supervising engineer for a project with the Connecticut Department of Transportation. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the bridge’s condition-rating is a 4 out of 9. The rating is mainly for the northbound portion, which has outlived its design life. It was built in 1943, and maintenance is not enough at this point, Bhardwaj said. Most of the work will be done underneath “reinforcing or strengthening it with plating,” according to Bart Sweeney, transportation division chief for the bridge section. The total cost, he said, is $300 million. Phase 1 starts in the spring and will take 3 years to complete. Sweeney said phase 2 starts in 2025 and it will focus on the approach spans and girders on either side.
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