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Trains News Wire FLASH: Northeast Corridor shut down due to open bridge
Since the state owns and maintains the bridge they should repair or replace it. If they refuse to do so a court battle might be forthcoming.
Mr. Bates, I am sure that Gov. Malloy and his ConnDOT Commissioner James Redecker wish not just a fix of the existing bridge but complete replacement. And I expect they know they are faced with a similar need to replace three other drawbridges between the NY state line and New Haven also at or nearing the end of their service lives. Meanwhile, we have the railroad shut down and once the bridge is closed and locked it cannot stay that way unless, I guess,the USCG allows it.
There is plenty of blame to go around for the mess we find ourselves in with this. And one of the two Trains article on NEC infrastructure needs says the price tag for replacing all four of ConnDOT’s bridges is $2 billion.
So why did Gov. Malloy, with federal assistance build the Hartford-New Britain Busway when they knew the dire condition of the NH Line bridges? And why did the Obama administration “loan” New York State $1.6 billion for a new Tappan Zee/I-87 Bridge instead of working with Connecticut on the railroad bridges that were built long before the existing Tappan Zee was built.
Because the Obama administration’s professed interest in doing for intercity passenger (Amtrak) and urban transit is a lie and a myth. When he recently chose to visit a site to celebrate a revival of building or modernising transportation infrastructure it wasn’t the Indiana Gateway or the Englewood Flyover, the latter of which is maybe 5 miles from his Chicago home in the Hyde Park neighborhood. For those who don’t know, the president went to Tarrytown, NY not to look at Metro North’s new station but to look at the interstate highway bridge that will soar overhead.
As far as the Norwalk River Bridge is concerned, with Amtrak service NYP-BOS shut down, the Megabus, BoltBus, et.al executives must be uncorking the champagne. And the interstate highway and its bridges the bus operators neither designed, built, or operate or maintain have no such deficient infrastructure. Obviousl
Instead of addressing the obvious issues here,Malloy is too busy banning 20 round magazines from law abiding citizens.Nothing good has happened in Ct. since the early 50’s.
Does anyone other than me question the antiquated, unfettered rights of boaters to foist unimaginable bills upon the taxpayers so that they can enjoy, in most cases, their avocation?
DH from IL.
Yes.
Completely.
and submitting that the professional fishing boaters, and yachts have:
“grandfather-ed rights of draw bridge passage.”
In the Bay Area, SP had a lot of movable, draw, lift, and…
other bridges, passages over waters once deemed “navigable.”
Mean High Water (Tidal) was just a few feet below the bridges.
I live in Norwalk and the far cheaper short-term solution would be to buy out the half dozen landowners who use the river north of this span. The Norwalk River is only navigable for about a mile or so north of the span.
@Daniel
If the boaters were there first, then their rights must be respected. The USA is not Russia or China. 
To take their rights away without compensation would be theft. However, I think Paul has the right idea in finding adequate compensation–seems like a million dollars each would be more than adequate compensation and vastly cheaper than replacing the bridge.