The Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge (also known as the Sikorsky Memorial Bridge, and as the Housatonic River Bridge) carries the limited-access
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County. ...
(
Connecticut Route 15
Route 15 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Connecticut that runs from a connection with New York's Hutchinson River Parkway in Greenwich, Connecticut, to its northern terminus intersecting with Interstate 84 (I-84) in East Ha ...
) over the
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
, between
Stratford and
Milford Milford may refer to:
Place names Canada
* Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia
* Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia
* Milford, Ontario
England
* Milford, Derbyshire
* Milford, Devon, a place in Devon
* Milford on Sea, Hampshire
* Milford, Shro ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.
The first bridge on the site, known as the Sikorsky Bridge, was completed in 1940, marking the completion of the
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt") is a limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Fairfield County, Connecticut, with a small section at the northern end in New Haven County, Connecticut, New Haven County. ...
and the starting point for construction of the adjoining
Wilbur Cross Parkway
The Wilbur Cross Parkway (also known locally as "The Merritt" in conjunction with its counterpart) is a limited access road in Connecticut, comprising the portion of Route 15 between Milford and Meriden. It is named after Wilbur Lucius Cross, ...
, September 2, 1940. It featured two lanes in each direction, and open steel grid decking that saved cost to stay within budget
and was unpopular with drivers. A toll plaza stood at the eastern end of the Sikorsky Bridge until Connecticut abolished tolls in 1988, and is now preserved in Stratford at the
Boothe Memorial Park and Museum.
The Sikorsky Bridge was named after aviation pioneer
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky (russian: И́горь Ива́нович Сико́рский, p=ˈiɡərʲ ɪˈvanəvitʃ sʲɪˈkorskʲɪj, a=Ru-Igor Sikorsky.ogg, tr. ''Ígor' Ivánovich Sikórskiy''; May 25, 1889 – October 26, 1972)Fortie ...
, whose
helicopter factory remains located north of the roadway, along the western riverfront, immediately north of the approach to the bridge (although visibility of the display of his name on that facility -- which in the 21st century operates as a component of
United Aircraft
The United Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer formed by the break-up of United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1934. In 1975, the company became United Technologies.
History
Pre-1930s
1930s
The Air Mail scandal ...
Corporation -- has been downgraded.
After years of environmental studies, the
Connecticut Department of Transportation
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (often referred to as CTDOT and occasionally ConnDOT, or CDOT) is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports and waterways in Connecticut. ...
awarded an $87 million contract to
Balfour Beatty Construction to build the replacement bridge, the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge, in 2000. The southern half of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge opened in 2003; the Sikorsky Bridge was demolished in 2004. In February 2004, the load unexpectedly shifted on a crane that was removing structural steel from the old bridge. The crane overturned and fell into the partially frozen Housatonic River, killing its operator.
The remaining half of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge was completed in 2006, two years behind schedule.
The new bridge has a concrete deck, with an asphalt surface, three lanes in each direction, full left and right shoulders, a sidewalk for pedestrians,
wrought-iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" t ...
railing, and aesthetic lighting. The bridge also includes a system of concrete fenders that protects the bridge piers from ship collisions, a feature that was absent from the 1940 span.
In 2006, the new bridge was formally dedicated as the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge.
See also
*
*
List of crossings of the Housatonic River
There are numerous crossings of the Housatonic River, both by road and railroad bridge. The following is a list of crossings of the Housatonic River in order of occurrence from the river mouth at Long Island Sound to its principal source stream ...
*
Sikorsky Aircraft
Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use.
Pre ...
*
Sikorsky Memorial Airport
Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is a public airport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, owned by the city of Bridgeport. It is three miles (6 km) southeast of downtown, in the town of Stratford. It was formerly Bridgeport ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Construction Inspection - Sikorsky Bridge over the Housatonic River Milford/Stratford, Connecticut
{{Crossings navbox
, structure = Crossings
, place =
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River ( ) is a river, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United S ...
, bridge = Igor Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
, bridge signs =
, upstream =
Commodore Hull Bridge
, upstream signs =
, downstream =
Metro North railroad bridge
, downstream signs =
Buildings and structures in Milford, Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Stratford, Connecticut
Bridges completed in 1940
Bridges completed in 2003
Bridges completed in 2006
Bridges in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Bridges in New Haven County, Connecticut
Monuments and memorials in Connecticut
Road bridges in Connecticut
Former toll bridges in Connecticut
Bridges over the Housatonic River
Steel bridges in the United States
1940 establishments in Connecticut