NORWALK, Conn. — For years, the WALK Bridge, which runs over the Norwalk River, has been in disrepair. Back in 2014, the state issued an emergency declaration to replace it. Now, nine years later, the state has the funds to do it. On Friday, they hosted an event with federal, state, and local officials to break ground on the project.
"This rail line behind us that defines Connecticut, is both our greatest strength, but at times, one of our greatest liabilities," said U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, (D) Connecticut.
The 127-year-old WALK bridge is part of the busiest rail corridor in the nation, the Northeast Corridor. The bridge carries 125,000 passengers and 175 trains on a daily basis.
The structure is a swing bridge, which pivots and opens up whenever a boat needs to pass through. The problem is, that the opening process has failed consistently over the years.
Back in 2014, the WALK Bridge failed twice in a two-week period. The year before that, it failed 16 times out of 271 openings. In 2011, it failed 12 times out of 138 openings, according to project managers.
And when the bridge fails, the impact spans far and wide.
"We have to have buses that bring commuters from one station to another, backing up traffic, it's a complete nightmare," said Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, (D) Norwalk and Darien.
Sen. Duff said whenever the bridge fails, it costs the region around $150 million per day.
For the last nine years, the state has been making moderate repairs just to keep it operational. But now, with a budget that has 80% federal funding and 20% state funding, the project has officially hit the ground running.
"The WALK Bridge has been a long walk. And a slow one, and we can't afford any more delay," said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut.
The new bridge is set to be completed in 2029. It will have two independent two-track bridges. That way, if one fails, the other can still come down, and carry travelers across. During construction, at least two tracks will be open for commuters at all times.
It won't be ideal, but James Fallon, an Assistant Chief Engineer at the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said the impact should be minimal.
"There is a significant amount of work involved but we think generally speaking, we'll be in good shape," Fallon said.
Gov. Ned Lamont said the improvements will speed things up for commuters too, bringing them from Connecticut to D.C.
"We're going to take the WALK Bridge and turn it into a run bridge," Gov. Lamont said.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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