CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: June 30, 2016

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

GOV. MALLOY ANNOUNCES ‘Q BRIDGE’ TO BE LIT RED, WHITE AND BLUE FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND

This Weekend Will Be the First Time the Recently Renovated Bridge Will Receive Full Lighting

      Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge in New Haven – informally known as the Q Bridge – will be lit in red, white, and blue this weekend in observation of Independence Day.  This will be the first time the recently renovated bridge will receive a full lighting, which will include the towers, anchor piers, and cable stays.  This is the first bridge in Connecticut with this type of versatile, commemorative lighting.

      “This newly constructed bridge is a major landmark in Connecticut.  We got it done on time and on budget – and now we’re lighting it up as a new enhancement for residents.  We’re thrilled to be illuminating the bridge for the first time in red, white, and blue to celebrate Independence Day and the birth of our nation,” Governor Malloy said.  “I want to thank the work of the Connecticut Department of Transportation on this bridge project and all of the workers whose service on the corridor over the last several years helped deliver one of the biggest infrastructure projects in our state’s history efficiently and effectively.”

      Red, white, and blue lights will illuminate the bridge beginning at dusk during the nights of Sunday, July 3 and Monday, July 4, 2016.  Light beacons capable of projecting light nearly six miles into the clear night sky will be lit until 1AM during those nights.

      “This signature bridge is a new source of pride for New Haven and our state, and the tens of thousands of people who drive across it every day,” Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner James P. Redeker said.  “I am delighted that we will be able to unveil this lighting for the Fourth of July.”

      Going forward, the bridge will continue to be illuminated in special colors for certain holidays.  Under current plans, the default lighting from September 1 through the end of February will be a clean white light, while from March 1 through August 31 it will be illuminated with a light green and light blue light.

      The light beacons will be shut off periodically for short durations in conformance with bird protection protocols approved by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

      The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge carries I-95 over the mouth of the Quinnipiac River and is among the most heavily traveled segments of the northeast corridor between New York and Boston, accommodating traffic volumes in excess of 120,000 vehicles per day.  Completed in September 2015 under budget and eight months ahead of schedule, the reopened bridge underwent a major, $2 billion renovation project – by far the largest and most comprehensive program ever undertaken by the CTDOT.  In addition to the new bridge, the program included the complete reconstruction of the I-95/I-91/Route 34 interchange, and additional lanes along 7.2 miles of I-95 northbound and southbound between Exit 46 in New Haven and Exit 54 in Branford.

For more information on the bridge, visit www.i95newhaven.com.