Stevenson Dam Bridge Explained
The Stevenson Dam Bridge carries Connecticut Route 34 over the Housatonic River in the U.S. state of Connecticut, connecting the town of Monroe to the town of Oxford.
The Stevenson Dam Bridge sits on top of the Stevenson Dam, constructed by the Connecticut Light and Power Company. It is a concrete span featuring 24 arches.[2] The current bridge was constructed in 1919 and is 1213 feet in length by 42 feet in width, featuring one lane in each direction for automotive traffic. It is the only highway bridge in Connecticut on a dam spillway.[3] In 2009, the DOT estimated the dam carries approximately 10,300 vehicles per day.
It has been claimed to be one of two dams in the country with a public road over top, but this is false.[4] [5]
History
A prior, one lane wooden suspension bridge known as "Zoar Bridge" existed just south of the confluence of the Halfway River with the Housatonic, at what is now the Monroe/Newtown town line, about 3/4 mile upstream from the dam/bridge current location. The supports for the old bridge were inundated with the construction of the dam. This bridge was not the predecessor to the current Derby-Shelton Bridge.[6]
In the winter of 1875, a flood carried Zoar Bridge a mile down stream.[7] In 1890, county commissioners ordered the removal of a toll house connected to the Oxford side of the bridge, as it was deemed a fire hazard.[8]
Renovations
- 1959 - New mercury vapor lights added, elimination of a sharp traffic approach.[9]
- 1987 - 80 post tensioned anchor cables are installed to improve earthquake resiliency.[10]
- 1979 - Widening project requires the bridge to be closed entirely to traffic for approximately six months.[11]
- 2005 - The bridge was closed on five weekends in summer for repairs to the concrete decks.[12]
- 2009 - A new bridge is planned for completion and has been bonded at $34 million.[13]
Notes
41.3832°N -73.1715°W
Notes and References
- Web site: Department of Transportation. Connecticut Department of Transportation.
- Web site: Archived copy . 2009-04-16 . 2011-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110721144249/http://environment.transportation.org/pdf/HistoricBridgePreservationPlan.pdf . dead .
- Web site: Stevenson Dam, Stevenson Dam Bridge, 19.3 miles upstream of the mouth of the Housatonic River, Monroe, Fairfield County, CT. 2021-07-03. Library of Congress.
- Web site: In Addition To Electricity, Stevenson Dam Generates Much Lore And A Few Myths. 2021-07-03. www.newtownbee.com. en-US.
- Web site: Burgeson. John. 2010-11-16. Stevenson: A bridge too far?. 2021-07-03. Connecticut Post. en-US.
- Web site: The View From/Stevenson Dam; How to Fix or Replace an Aging Bridge Over the Housatonic?. 29 March 1998. The New York Times.
- Web site: 1875-02-27. Great Freshet in Naugatuck and Housatonic Valleys. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160731140340/http://www.oxford-historical-society.org/zoar-news-clips/1875_02-27_Great-Freshet-in-Naugatuck-and-Housatonic-Valleys_Daily%20Constitution_Middletown.htm. 2016-07-31. 2021-07-03. Oxford Historical Society.
- Web site: 1890-04-19. TROUBLE OVER A TOLL HOUSE New Haven and Fairfield Commissioners Meet today to Talk About Zoar Bridge. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160730225400/http://www.oxford-historical-society.org/zoar-news-clips/1890_04-19_New-Haven-Register_Trouble-over-a-toll-house.htm. 2016-07-30. 2021-07-03. Oxford Historical Society.
- Web site: 1959-Main.
- Web site: Burgeson. John. 2017-09-06. Stevenson Dam celebrates 100 years. 2021-07-03. Connecticut Post. en-US.
- News: Burgeson. John. 2010-11-21. Past, present and future of a dam bridge in Conn.. Boston.com. 2021-07-03.
- Web site: IN BRIEF; Weekend Closings Set For Stevenson Dam Bridge. Jeff. Holtz. 10 April 2005. NYTimes.com.
- Web site: Hovey . 2009-04-16 . 2011-07-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717134637/http://www.housegop.state.ct.us/pressrel/Hovey/2005/press112n.htm . dead .
