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10/27/2017 01:32 PMThe Route 139 bridge replacement construction is on schedule to end on November 30, with the new bridge open to traffic as of December 1. For the month of December, some minor finish activity to the state bridge replacement project is expected take place, which may cause some periodic lane closures.
Zip06/The Sound checked in with Branford Town Engineer Janice Plaziak on October 27 for an update on the project, which she said is on schedule to re-open as planned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT).
A DOT project press release (January, 2017) does note "minor construction activities" will continue at the bridge following re-opening after November 30, which may create "periodic" lane closures through project completion, scheduled for December 31, 2017. See the information here .
As previously reported here, the state notified local residents the bridge would be closed for replacement from July 1 through November 30, 2017. Signs posted in the area include the dates of closure and detour information. The project has put a cramp in the commute for many as a main route between Route 80 in North Branford and Route 1 in Branford. Cars continue to be detoured 1.5 miles over School Ground Road from Route 139 in North Branford and Route 1 in Branford.
On the drawing board since 2012, the $4 million state- and federally-funded project removed the deteriorating, 92 year-old concrete bridge (built in 1925) to replace it with a single span, widened bridge with two standard-width lanes. The new bridge is two feet wider than the old bridge, with a deck that's approximately three feet higher. The bridge replacement is being funded with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state money.