New London — In 1950, the Gold Star Memorial Bridge carried about 16,000 vehicles a day. Today, the now two-span bridge carries 60,000 vehicles in each direction, a traffic volume that exceeds what it was built to handle, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said during a news conference Tuesday. That shows the importance of a $900 million construction project to repair the northbound span, he said. The project will bring the bridge up to modern standards, extend its service life, lift load restrictions and restore full access for freight and oversized vehicles, and ensure the bridge continues to safely carry people and goods for decades to come. Federal, state and local officials gathered with construction workers and engineers to celebrate the start of this next phase of construction during a news conference at the Thames River State Boat Launch underneath the bridge. The project is expected to be completed in 2030. To do the work safely, the project will require a traffic crossover that will begin May 30 and continue throughout construction, Eucalitto said. The start of the traffic crossover was postponed from around May 9 to avoid introducing a new traffic pattern before the busy Memorial Day weekend.

https://theday.com/news/891139/officials-celebrate-start-of-gold-star-bridge-next-phase/