Reported by Construction Equipment Guide
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner joined U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Representative Joe Courtney, Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto, and other state and local officials to celebrate the start of construction for Amtrak’s new Connecticut River Bridge between Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Conn.
The existing Connecticut River Bridge, which opens for maritime traffic several times a day in peak boating season, was completed in 1907 and serves more than 50 daily Amtrak Northeast regional and Acela trains; CTrail Shore Line East commuter service trains; and freight trains. The aging bridge’s failure to open and close consistently can result in cascading delays to rail and maritime traffic.
The modern, more resilient, moveable bridge now being constructed by Amtrak will feature a trunnion bascule span design with modern track, signal, catenary, power, communication and other supporting rail infrastructure. It will support a maximum train operating speed of 70 mph, a 55 percent increase from today’s maximum speed of 45 mph. Maritime navigation and safety also will improve due to the increased vertical clearance of the new bridge compared to the existing bridge.