East Haddam Swing Bridge stuck in closed position: DOT - Dalian HorizonSure Technologies Group

by: Bob Wilson

Posted: Apr 14, 2023 / 10:35 PM EDT

Updated: Apr 17, 2023 / 03:24 AM EDT

HADDAM, Conn. (WTNH) – An alert is out to all boaters using the Connecticut River; the East Haddam Swing Bridge is broken and will not open to let marine traffic through.

The East Haddam Swing Bridge is in the middle of a $60 million renovation, but it is in need of more repairs. The bridge can no longer open to let boats up and down the river, but it is still structurally safe for traffic to cross.

Josh Morgan, the spokesperson for the Department of Transportation said the bridge began acting unreliable on Friday.

"They were able to swing it back into place, the parts were banging and clanging together, just incredibly dangerous situation for the folks out there, they got it closed and locked into place and we made that decision hey, we have to keep that thing shut and locked down until we figure out what's going on," Morgan said.

Officials are unsure how long the bridge will be locked into place but say it is a top priority to get it fixed.

"We are going to have an expert out early next week to really get into the mechanicals and figure out what's going on, and figure out how we can fix this before we get further into the spring and summer," Morgan said.

News 8 spoke with boaters who shared their concerns about the broken bridge. Boaters said they are concerned as some boaters will not know about the closure and will have to turn around in a tight area.

The Department of Transportation said the situation could have been much worse if the bridge was stuck open.

"They told me if that thing swung a little further and some cable snap, it would still be stuck open, which means that thousands of vehicles will be stuck in a major detour," Morgan said.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation said they are working on a plan to find the best way to get boats around the broken bridge until it is fixed.