The Connecticut Bond Commission is expected to approve $3 million at its July 25 meeting to fund short-term fixes to the 118-year-old Walk Bridge in Norwalk, said Gov. Dannel Malloy.
Malloy and state transportation Commissioner James Redeker released a report outlining recommendations for the stop-gap work, after the railroad bridge malfunctioned twice within a two-week period, causing delays on the Metro-North Railroad commuter line.
"Because our customers - and our economy - rely on this system every day, we are implementing these fixes to increase reliability in the near term until the full replacement of the Walk Bridge can begin," Malloy said in a July 24 statement.
After meeting on June 9 with Metro-North, Malloy established of a team of engineers and bridge inspectors to propose remedies. Modifications will be made over nine months until the bridge can ultimately be replaced.
Malloy said the state funding will pay for work on the devices that lift the rails and re-seat them, and other improvements that will restore the automated operation to the bridge.
In April, Malloy announced that the state has applied for $360 million in Federal Transit Administration funding to replace the Walk Bridge and expects to receive an answer by the fall.
