The Founders Bridge is one of the three highway bridges over the
Connecticut River in
Hartford, Connecticut. The steel
stringer bridge carries the
Route 2 expressway, and also crosses over
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Conne ...
(which runs parallel to the river). the bridge had an average daily traffic of 29,200.
One of the centerpieces of Hartford's Riverfront Recapture project, it features a wide pedestrian promenade and access to the rest of the riverfront park area as well as to
Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza is a large commercial mixed-use development in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
Construction
Constitution Plaza was built for $42 million and completed in stages from 1961 to 1964.
Its planning and construction were spearheade ...
.
The bridge makes up a section of the
East Coast Greenway
The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits.
The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991. ...
, a system of trails connecting
Calais, Maine
Calais is a city in Washington County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 3,079, making Calais the third least-populous city in Maine (after Hallowell and Eastport). The city has three Canada–US border cro ...
to
Key West, Florida.
History
In 1950, the
Bulkeley Bridge
The Bulkeley Bridge (also known as Hartford Bridge, Bridge No. 980A) is the oldest of three highway bridges over the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut. A stone arch bridge composed of nine spans, the bridge carries Interstate 84, ...
upstream was very congested with traffic, primarily because it was the only bridge that led to downtown Hartford, so it was planned to build a bridge just downstream, called the State Street Bridge. In 1955 they renamed this planned bridge as the Founders Bridge. In the same year, the
Greater Hartford Bridge Authority was created to help with this bridge's planning, along with the
Putnam Bridge and the
Bissell Bridge. The bridge opened on December 27, 1957, and was put under the designation of
CT 2. Tolls were removed about the time the bridge was connected to
I-91
Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connecti ...
and
I-84
Interstate 84 may refer to:
* Interstate 84 (Oregon–Utah), passing through Idaho, formerly known as Interstate 80N
* Interstate 84 (Pennsylvania–Massachusetts)
Interstate 84 (I-84) is an Interstate Highway in the Northeaster ...
. In the late 1980s the bridge was considered for rebuilding to accompany a riverfront plaza being planned in the area. This led the state to rebuild the bridge in 1994 to add lanes, a large sidewalk, and path connections to
East Hartford
East Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,045 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the east bank of the Connecticut River, directly across from Hartford, Connecticut. It is home to aerospac ...
and Hartford. This rebuilding also eliminated the hazardous, congestion-prone connections to and from I-91 to the south, as these ramps had been made redundant by the toll-free
Charter Oak Bridge
The Charter Oak Bridge is one of the three highway bridges over the Connecticut River in Hartford, Connecticut. The twin steel stringer bridge carries the Wilbur Cross Highway ( Route 15/U.S. Route 5) over the river, connecting downtown Hartford ...
replacement span. In 2001, a walkway was completed to link the path across Columbus Boulevard to
Constitution Plaza
Constitution Plaza is a large commercial mixed-use development in Downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
Construction
Constitution Plaza was built for $42 million and completed in stages from 1961 to 1964.
Its planning and construction were spearheade ...
.
See also
*
List of crossings of the Connecticut River
This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Connecticut River from its mouth at Long Island Sound upstream to its source at the Connecticut Lakes. The list includes current road and rail crossings, as well as ferries carrying a state hig ...
References
External links
*
Transportation in Hartford, Connecticut
Buildings and structures in East Hartford, Connecticut
Bridges completed in 1958
Bridges over the Connecticut River
Buildings and structures in Hartford, Connecticut
Bridges in Hartford County, Connecticut
Road bridges in Connecticut
Steel bridges in the United States
Girder bridges in the United States
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