Railway Track and Structures,5/19/23
Walk Bridge Off to a Running Start
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-In-Chief, Railway Age
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is starting construction on the Norwalk River Railroad (Walk) Bridge Replacement Project in Norwalk.
Rendering of the new Walk Bridge
Originally built in 1896, the Walk Bridge is a four-track swing span across the Norwalk River on the Northeast Corridor. One of the oldest movable bridges in the region, in recent years it has shown its age, “failing to close on several occasions and significantly disrupting travel on Metro-North’s New Haven Line and Amtrak services,” CDOT noted. “Having outlived its useful life, federal and state officials determined the necessity to replace the bridge and designed a new one that is focused on enhancing the safety, reliability and ease of travel throughout Norwalk and beyond with vital improvements and upgrades to the railroad infrastructure. This bridge replacement project promotes economic development through infrastructure investment, the protection of potential up-river development, and reduced roadway congestion.”
The new bridge will be a redundant structure with two independent, movable lift spans that are designed and constructed “to be resilient and sustainable for extreme weather events,” CDOT said. When completed, a speed restriction over the bridge will be eliminated, allowing trains to travel at speeds 15 mph faster than currently.
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