Washington Bridge (Connecticut)

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name=Washington Bridge


caption=
official_name=Washington Bridge
carries=4 lanes of U.S. Route 1
crosses=Housatonic River
locale=Stratford and Milford (Connecticut)
maint=Connecticut Department of Transportation [ [http://www.ct.gov/dot/site/default.asp Connecticut Department of Transportation] ]
id=
design=steel movable (bascule bridge)
length=267.3 m
width=
height=
load=
clearance=
below=
traffic=23,300
open=1921 (reconstructed 1990)
closed=
toll=
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates=coord|41|12|01|N|73|06|37|W|region:US_type:landmark_scale:10000
lat=
long=The Washington Bridge carries U.S. Route 1 over the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the city of Milford to the town of Stratford. Its geographic location is N 41.20037 by W -73.11039. It is considered architecturally notable for its five 100 foot long arches.

The Washington Bridge is the longest drawbridge on the Boston Post Road.Fact|date=September 2008 It is a steel trunnion-bearing bascule drawbridge. 859 feet in length by 43 feet in width, featuring two lanes in each direction for automotive traffic and a sidewalk for pedestrians. The clear channel for shipping is 125 feet wide. [ [http://www.ahs-inc.biz/open-spandrel/milford-drawing.html] "State of Connecticut Highway Department Original Washington Bridge Plans" Accessed 6 October 2008.]

It is illegal to fish from the bridge.

Historical Information

The first noted transport across the river at this point was a ferry that began service around May 1758. The first bridge at this point was proposed in 1803 by the Milford and Stratford Bridge Company, who changed the name to the Washington Bridge that same year. The first standing bridge opened in 1813, complete with a toll. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=-fILAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA437&lpg=PA437&dq=washington+bridge,+stratford+%2BMay+1758+ferry&source=web&ots=yVqqvAdhUH&sig=Tm6NcUVCr13qteQ0qyH03YEwdpQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result] Web page titled "A History of the Old Town of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut By Samuel Orcutt, Fairfield County Historical Society (page 437)" at "Google Book Search" Web site, accessed 16 September, 2008]

Built in 1921, the original fabricator of the current bridge was Bethlehem Steel Bridge. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=DvUNAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=%22Bethlehem+Steel+Bridge%22+%2Bstratford&source=web&ots=oJ7gdwykVl&sig=apefI639dS0nTWux1boz6vIpq0k&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result] Web page titled "Biennial Report of the Highway Commissioner to the Governor By Connecticut State Highway Dept (page 36)" at "Google Books" Web site, accessed 16 September, 2008] It was designed by John Alexander Low Waddell, a noted structural engineer with over 1000 structures to his credit. Originally the bridge supported two streetcar tracks and two lanes for passenger cars. [ [http://www.bera.org/trolleytowns/trolleyhtml/milford.html] "Milford" from Trolley Towns Website accessed 6 October, 2008.]

The Washington Bridge was named a Registered Historic Place by the National Register of Historic Places on 29 September 2004. [ [http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-20816.pdf] Web page titled "Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 179 / Thursday, September 16, 2004 / Notices 55835", accessed 17 September, 2008]

Renovations

The bridge has seen several renovations, including one completed in February, 2007 which included a new control system.

ee also

*Moses Wheeler Bridge - Crosses the Housatonic River on nearby Interstate 95
*Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge - Crosses the Housatonic River on nearby Route 15

Notes

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Housatonic River
bridge = Washington Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Moses Wheeler Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Long Island Sound
downstream signs =