EAST HADDAM, Conn. — It's a frustrating time for boaters in the East Haddam area. A mechanical issue closed the East Haddam Swing Bridge to many boaters about two weeks ago.
Now crews are working on a solution, unfortunately, it will only help some boaters on the Connecticut River, at least for now.
The Connecticut River is quiet and boat yards are packed.
At Midway Marina in East Haddam, tons of boats are stuck parked because they can't get out on the water to go under the bridge.
"Now it’s very quiet," said Scott Davidson, owner of Midway Marina. "It's just a waiting game."
The wait is impacting dozens of his customers who can't get their boats under the bridge. Smaller boats can drive under just fine, but bigger boats can't fit under the clearance.
"It's pretty frustrating, very much so," said Davidson.
Two weeks ago there was a mechanical issue when the swing bridge went to open, which allows boaters, like Sailboats and bigger yachts and commercial boats, to travel through.
Now, it's staying closed for repairs. In this case, when one door closes, nothing else opens.
"Any of these sailboats we have they’re never going to make it through there, you need a 60-foot bridge to get a sailboat through," said Davidson.
The ships have sailed elsewhere. Davidson has lost dozens of customers, a $20,000 profit loss.
"We’re losing money every day," said Davidson.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is working on taking scaffolding down under the bridge which will give an extra three feet of clearance underneath.
"We’re looking to make accommodations as we can as we move forward," said spokesperson Josh Morgan.
Morgan said they hope a few more boats will be able to pass through with this fix, but the work is still underway to figure out a better solution.
"There’s a risk if we open up that bridge again we may not be able to close it," said Morgan. "This is just a temporary fix, a temporary solution we think will help additional boaters."
For Davidson, the move still keeps a majority of his customer's boats, especially sailboats, grounded.
That means his business of more than 40 years is now trying to stay afloat.
"They don’t care about the boaters, it’s too bad," said Davidson.
The scaffolding removal is expected to be completed by Saturday as officials work on a timeline for a more permanent solution to the Swing Bridge closure for the boaters.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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