The Putnam Bridge is a bridge in the state of
Connecticut carrying the
Route 3 Expressway over the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...
, connecting
Interstate 91 in
Wethersfield and
Route 2
The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads.
International
* AH2, As ...
in
Glastonbury. It is the southernmost crossing of the Connecticut River in the Hartford Area and carries an average of 50,800 vehicles per day.
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The bridge was built in the late 1950s as part of the Route 3 connector between Interstate 91 and Connecticut Route 2. It originally terminated at Main Street in Glastonbury, rather than at Route 2. It was expected to be expanded to a double-decker in the early 1970s as part of the planned Interstate 491, a southeastern bypass around Hartford from Wethersfield 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 ...
. However, the project was cancelled in 1973. In the late 1980s, the expressway portion of Route 3 was extended to terminate at Route 2.
In 2013, the bridge underwent a $15 million rehabilitation project, which repaved the roadbed, repainted the girders, added new lighting fixtures and a new pedestrian walkway.
See also
* List of crossings of the Connecticut River
References
External links
*
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Bridges over the Connecticut River
Bridges in Hartford County, Connecticut
Road bridges in Connecticut
Steel bridges in the United States
Girder bridges in the United States
1950s establishments in Connecticut
Bridges completed in the 20th century
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