Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge
| Sikorsky Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
Traveling eastbound (toward Milford) on the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge in June 2007.
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| Coordinates | 41°14′47″N 73°05′29″W / 41.24639°N 73.09139°WCoordinates: 41°14′47″N 73°05′29″W / 41.24639°N 73.09139°W |
| Carries | 6 lanes of  Route 15
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| Crosses | Housatonic River |
| Locale | Between Stratford and Milford, Connecticut |
| Official name | Igor Sikorsky Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Connecticut Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | steel continuous stringer/multi-beam |
| Total length | 548.6 metres (1,800 ft) |
| Width | 16.2 metres (53 ft) |
| Clearance below | 25.9 metres (85 ft) |
| Opened | 1940 (original span) reconstructed 2000-2006 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 79,700 |
| Toll | (Until 1988) $0.35 |
The Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge (also known as the Sikorsky Memorial Bridge, and the Housatonic River Bridge) carries the limited-access Connecticut Route 15 over the Housatonic River, between Stratford and Milford, Connecticut.
The first bridge, known as the Sikorsky Bridge (not to be confused with the new Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge's name), on the site, was completed in 1940, marking the completion of the Merritt Parkway and the starting point for construction of the adjoining Wilbur Cross Parkway, September 2, 1940. It featured two narrow lanes in each direction and open steel grid deck that saved money but was unpopular with drivers. A toll plaza stood at the eastern end of the Sikorsky Bridge until Connecticut abolished tolls in 1988. The toll booth is now preserved in Stratford at the Boothe Memorial Park and Museum.
The Sikorsky Bridge is named after aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, whose helicopter factory is located along the riverfront immediately north of the bridge.
After years of environmental studies, the Connecticut Department of Transportation awarded an $87 million contract to Balfour Beatty Construction to build the replacement bridge, the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge, in 2000. The southern half of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge opened in 2003; the Sikorsky Bridge was demolished in 2004. In February 2004, the load unexpectedly shifted on a crane that was removing structural steel from the old bridge. The crane overturned and fell into the partially frozen Housatonic River, killing its operator.
The remaining half of the Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Bridge was completed in 2006, two years behind schedule. The new bridge has a concrete deck, with blacktop, three lanes in each direction, full left and right shoulders, a sidewalk for pedestrians, wrought-iron railing, and aesthetic lighting. The bridge also includes a system of concrete fenders that protects the bridge piers from ship collisions, a feature that was absent from the 1940 span.
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