The City applied for a grant to replace the existing structure under the State of Connecticut local bridge program prior to the State deadline for grant applications of 5/31/24.

As part of the grant application, an inspection report was required to be included with the grant application. Upon receipt of the Mill Road Bridge inspection report, the City closed the bridge to traffic on 5/29/24 based upon the condition of the bridge as noted in the inspection report. Final comments to the report were obtained on 5/29/24. At that time, the City further requested a load rating report be prepared for the Mill Road Bridge to further evaluate the potential for re-opening options for the structure.  

On 7/1/24 the City received a response from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) that they received the City's grant applications for State Local Bridge Program funding for Fiscal Year 2025. ConnDOT indicated they received 33 applications requesting over $34,000,000 in grant funding statewide. Based on this, only a portion of that request could be fulfilled. 

The City submitted 3 bridge applications for consideration. On 7/1/24, the City was informed that 2 of the 3 applications qualified for funding that includes Mill Road Bridge (near Old Long Ridge Road) and Old Long Ridge Road (near Chestnut Hill Road).

On 7/3/24 the City received the load rating report for the Mill Road Bridge which indicated that the bridge can re-open to one-lane alternating traffic provided that traffic loads are taken off the north side steel support beams. This can be accomplished with the installation of stop controls installed on each roadway approach to the bridge, a temporary barrier, installation of load restriction signage, and repair of the sinkhole under the existing steel plate located on the southwest side of the bridge approach.  

Work began on 7/5/24 by repairing the sinkhole underneath the steel plate.

Following the sinkhole repair, a traffic barrier and stop sign controls with load restriction signage was installed on 7/8 & 7/9 to implement alternating one-lane traffic over the bridge structure.

The Mill Road bridge was opened to one-lane alternating traffic on 7/9/24.

The permeant replacement of Mill Road bridge structure that was recently approved for State/Local grant funding will take place once the funds for the project are in place, design and permitting is complete, and the project is bid and constructed.  A project schedule for this work has not yet been developed.