Public Information Meeting Concerning Proposed Rehabilitation of the Putnam Bridge Carrying Route 3

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NEWS RELEASE

2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546

NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7456

FOR RELEASE: June 8, 2011

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062

FAX: (860) 594-3065

WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

Public Information Meeting Concerning Proposed Rehabilitation of the Putnam Bridge Carrying Route 3 over the Connecticut River in the Towns of Wethersfield and Glastonbury

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (Department) will hold a Public Information Meeting concerning proposed rehabilitation of the Putnam Bridge carrying Route 3 over the Connecticut River in the Towns of Wethersfield and Glastonbury. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Glastonbury Riverfront Community Center, 300 Welles Street, Glastonbury, Connecticut.

The Putnam Bridge, built in 1959, is a 14 span two-girder type bridge, 2,400 feet in length. It carries four lanes of Route 3 traffic, two 12 foot lanes with 4 foot wide inside shoulders and 3.5 foot wide outside shoulders. Average daily traffic on the bridge recorded in 2010 is approximately 60,000 vehicles per day. The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 1987 and again in 2008 underwent deck matching and replacement of the bituminous concrete overlay.

As a result of recent in-depth bridge inspection in 2010 it was determined that substantial repairs were urgently required for structural steel floor-beams and stringers, bridge deck expansion joints, concrete median and fascia parapets (bridge barrier/railing), and bridge bearings. In conjunction with the needed structural repairs, the outcome of the recommended repairs will provide effective bridge deck drainage control to prevent corrosive winter runoff from contacting the structural steel superstructure. An Emergency Declaration Project 53-183 was initiated and recently completed during the winter of 2010 – 2011 to address the most critical structural steel repair needs. The proposed rehabilitation project will address the remaining structural deficiencies.

Construction is anticipated to start in late spring of 2012 and be completed in the fall of 2013. The estimated construction cost for this project is approximately $33,000,000 and is anticipated to be undertaken with 80% Federal and 20% State funds.

All construction stages will maintain four 11 foot travel lanes, two each direction, during peak travel hours. During the last construction stage in the second construction season, up to 10 weekend directional closures, five in each direction are proposed for replacement of the bridge deck expansion joints and final resurfacing. Only one weekend directional closure will be allowed at a time. The detours for the directional closures will use Route 2, Route 15 (Charter Oak Bridge) and I-91 in the Towns of Wethersfield, East Hartford, Glastonbury, and the City of Hartford. Additional detour information is available here: Putnam Bridge Detour

The public Information Meeting is being held to afford a full opportunity for public participation and to allow open discussion of any views and comments the community may have concerning this proposed project.

Representatives from the Department will be available during the meeting to discuss the project. More detailed information is available at the Department’s Office of Engineering, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, Newington, Connecticut, during office hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30am through 4:00pm, excluding holidays. Anyone wishing to review the plans may contract Mr. Robert Brown, Project Engineer, at (860) 594-3207 or Robert.Brown@ct.gov to make an appointment. All persons interested in this project are welcome to attend this meeting to discuss the project with Department personnel.