Saugatuck River Bridge

The Saugatuck River Bridge is a bridge in Connecticut carrying Route 136 over the Saugatuck River in Westport. The bridge, built in 1884, is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2] The total length of the bridge is 87.5 metres (287 ft) with a deck width of 6.1 metres (20 ft) and a minimum vertical clearance of 2.1 metres (6.9 ft) above the river. The bridge carries an average of about 16,000 vehicles per day.[3] In 2007, the bridge was named the William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge.[4]

For the railway bridge also known as "Saugatuck River Bridge", see Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge.
Saugatuck River Bridge
Saugatuck River Bridge
Coordinates41°7′22″N 73°22′10″W
Saugatuck River Bridge
Arealess than one acre
Built1884
ArchitectUnion Bridge Co.
Architectural stylePin-connected swing bridge
NRHP reference No.87000126[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 12, 1987
Carries Route 136
CrossesSaugatuck River
LocaleWestport, Connecticut
Official nameBridge No. 1349
Maintained byConnecticut Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignWrought-iron swing truss
Total length289 feet (88 m)
History
Construction end1884
Statistics
Daily traffic15,700
Location

History

In 1746, a ferry was established to carry traffic over the Saugatuck River near Westport, and around 1807 it was replaced by the first bridge as part of the old Connecticut Turnpike. By 1857 the need to replace this bridge was apparent, and the town spent a total of $22,500 in 1869 to build a wooden bridge in its place.[5] Within the ten years it took to pay that bridge off, shipworms had rendered it nearly impassable, and Westport had to build another bridge over the Saugatuck. Five years later, in 1884, the town contracted with Union Bridge Company of Buffalo, New York, to build a wrought iron bridge. Union Bridge Company, a leading but short-lived pioneer in swing bridge construction, was the only company to submit a bid for the job.[5] The new bridge cost $26,700, not including $362 to remove the shipworm-infested remains of the 1869 wooden bridge.[5]:6 The bridge is the oldest surviving movable bridge in Connecticut.[2]

The movable bridge allows waterborne traffic to easily pass, which was crucial to the area's economy at the time. The bridge consists of a 144-foot-long (44 m) fixed approach span on the eastern side, and a hand-cranked movable span. Both spans are pin-connected Pratt through truss designs made of wrought iron.[2]

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on February 12, 1987, as a rare example of an early movable iron bridge. The bridge spans were designed by Union Bridge Company president Charles Kellogg and his son Charles H. Kellogg. The bridge is also noted as being of significant importance in the historical development of the town of Westport in the 19th century, particularly in the area of maritime commerce. The importance of water-borne traffic required the town to spend additional effort and expense to build a bridge that would not inhibit such traffic.[6]:6

Panoramic view looking out from Saugatuck Bridge, Westport, CT, USA

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Connecticut's Historic Highway Bridges - Saugatuck River Bridge
  3. National Bridge Inventory (Federal Highway Administration, 2009)
  4. Westport Now, October 7, 2007
  5. Warner, Frederick (March 29, 1991). "Saugatuck River Bridge (Connecticut Bridge No. 01349)" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  6. Roth, Matthew; Clouette, Bruce; Herzan, John (July 25, 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Saugatuck River Bridge". National Park Service. and Accompanying 10 photos, from 1986
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