The Normand Edward Fontaine Bridge is a -long

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

at in Westport,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Two lanes of Route 88 pass over the bridge from Westport Point and Wood Point in the Westport Point section of town to the

Horseneck Beach State Reservation Horseneck Beach State Reservation is a public recreation area comprising more than on the Atlantic Ocean in the southern portion of the New England town, town of Westport, Massachusetts, Westport, Massachusetts. The state park, reservation is on ...

, connecting with Cherry & Webb Lane and, eventually, John Reed Road when Route 88 officially ends 0.3 miles south of the bridge's southern end. The bridge, whose bascule channel spans , crosses over the East Branch of the

Westport River The Westport River lies between Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay in Westport, Massachusetts. Description The Westport River has two branches. The smaller West Branch is approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset ...

, just east of where that branch begins. The branch itself also branches at this point, with the main portion of the river turning north around Wood Point, and the Horseneck Channel to The Let leading southeastward. The bridge, originally known as the ''Westport River Bridge'', was built in 1958 to carry Route 88 to the Horseneck Beach State Reservation. It was renamed in 1983 for Specialist 4th Class Normand Edward Fontaine, a Westport resident who was killed in the line of duty during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

.Massachusetts Archives: Acts, 1983, Chap. 443, 444.
/ref> The rehabilitation and resurfacing of the bridge began in 2003, taking several years.

References

Bridges in Bristol County, Massachusetts Road bridges in Massachusetts Bascule bridges in the United States 1958 establishments in Massachusetts Bridges completed in 1958 {{Massachusetts-bridge-struct-stub