Feds deliver $158M for major upgrade to CT’s Gold Star Memorial Bridge on Interstate 95
State political figures in Washington and Hartford said Thursday that the Federal Highway Administration has awarded Connecticut $158.2 million for ongoing repairs and upgrades to the massive Gold Star Memorial Bridge that carries Interstate 95 over the Thames River between Groton and New London.
The Gold Star’s northbound span is the longest bridge in Connecticut, carrying five lanes of traffic and nearly 60,000 vehicles daily, and has been undergoing the first phase of a $407.7 million rehabilitation since 2020.
The federal grant will accelerate future construction on the northbound span, making the bridge fully operational earlier than originally anticipated.
State Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti said that, due to its condition, the northbound bridge is currently load restricted, which prohibits travel by oversize and overweight vehicles. As a result, he said greenhouse gas emissions are increased through idling, as the 17-mile detour includes more than 20 traffic signals.
The money for the upgrade is available under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and is part of the single biggest investment in the nation’s bridges since construction of the interstate highway system, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s office.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to pay dividends to Connecticut,” Lamont said. “Ensuring people and freight can move safely and efficiently across the Thames River is so important. This project helps reduce congestion, lower emissions, and is an economic driver of eastern Connecticut.”
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, “This massive, historic investment in an iconic Connecticut bridge will make travel safer, speedier, and more reliable. The competition for funding was cutthroat, and our fight for it was steadfast and unstinting. This investment marks another highly significant step toward bringing our infrastructure into the 21st century.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, whose district includes Groton and New London, called the award “another example of the 2021 Infrastructure Law’s positive impact on eastern Connecticut.”
“Preliminary work at Gold Star started last summer by members of the local Ironworkers Union, and this award will ensure that follow-on structural work on the northbound lane will occur,” Courtney said. “With this upgrade, the bridge will be able to safely tolerate higher weight vehicles, which is a benefit to all motorists, and will reduce truck traffic on local roads, which is more congested right now due to present weight restrictions.”
In addition to safety improvements on the bridge, the project includes expanded non-motorized access across the Thames River. A multi-use path will benefit active transportation users and connect New London and Groton, the U.S. Naval Submarine Base, and the United States Coast Guard Academy.
The Gold Star Memorial Bridge was originally constructed in 1943, and a major superstructure rehabilitation was performed in the 1970s.
In the 1990s, multiple rehabilitation projects were completed to improve bridge conditions. In 2014, there was a bearing replacement project for half of the expansion bearings on the approach spans. In 2018, improvements were completed on the southbound span. In 2020, the project on the northbound span began.
