Rehabilitation project is the first federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Large Bridge grant project recipient
HARTFORD, CT (Jan. 20, 2023) – HNTB Corporation has been awarded a design contract by Connecticut Department of Transportation for the rehabilitation of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge, which carries 42,600 vehicles per day on Interstate 95 over the Thames River in New London and Groton, Connecticut. The existing 6,000-foot-long northbound structure is the state’s largest and most complex bridge.
“HNTB’s long-standing history of complex bridge design and technical excellence have helped bridge communities throughout Connecticut,” said Jacob Argiro, HNTB vice president and Connecticut office leader.
Funding for the rehabilitation project will come from a $158 million U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration Large Bridge Grant. As a result of this grant, future construction phases are accelerated, and the bridge is expected to be fully operational a year earlier.
Originally constructed in 1946, the Gold Star Memorial Bridge’s northbound I-95 link connects all states on the eastern seaboard. Due to the load rating capacity and significant deterioration of the steel, oversize or overweight vehicles cannot utilize the bridge and must use a 12-mile detour to get back on I-95. The Thames River, over which the bridge crosses, experiences significant boat traffic, and the area below the bridge piers serves as the boat launch facility for recreational and commercial boaters. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a naval base and General Dynamic’s Electric Boat, a major producer of naval submarines, are located upstream.
The Gold Star Memorial Bridge expands HNTB’s long history of working on the state’s largest and most complex projects including most recently, the redesign of the Waterbury Mixmaster Interchange, design of the replacement of the Walk Moveable Bridge in Norwalk, and design and engineering services for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail corridor. HNTB has also been deeply and extensively involved with many of the nation’s most recognizable bridges including the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo and Goethals Bridges in New York, the John Greenleaf Whittier Memorial Bridge in Massachusetts, and most recently, the iconic Sixth Street Viaduct Replacement in Los Angeles.