BRISTOL – Though the century-old Frederick Street Bridge is one of only a dozen Connecticut spans rated in “critical” condition, it poses no danger to the 14,000 drivers who use it each week, officials said.
The bridge received emergency repairs this spring that caused it to be closed for a month.
That effort, Public Works Director Walter Veselka said Monday, means that “right now, the bridge is safe for use, but we will schedule a replacement of the bridge within the next few years.”
The collapse of a major interstate bridge in Minnesota last week has again highlighted the problems of an aging infrastructure across the country, particularly poorly rated bridges that need major overhauls or replacement.
The new scrutiny, however, hasn’t had any impact on the fate of the Frederick Street Bridge because the city has long planned to replace it.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
2 comments:
I understood from DOT officials during another bridge issue we had in the city a few years ago that if a bridge is shut down for repair it needs to be reinspected by the State prior to being reopened.
If the State is saying that this bridge is rated as a level 2 due to an inspection in 2006, then did they come out and inspect it again after the City performed their "emergency repair"?
Who did the repair? Was it PW staff or was an outside contractor hired?
I understand from a neighbor, Paula Donaghy, that state inspectors were at the bridge today. However, I'm not sure they had inspected it after city crews repaired it this spring.
I guess if it's still open, it's as safe as the public works director says it is.
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