Interested parties are requested to submit a Letter of Interest to CTDOT, indicating their intention for reuse of the bridge. If CTDOT opts to replace the Saugatuck River Swing Bridge, it will contact the interested parties and request formal proposals for the preservation and future use of the bridge. These proposals will, at minimum, need to:
- Provide a comprehensive written plan for the preservation and use of the bridge, including any desired modifications and the estimated cost of rehabilitation.
- Ensure the means and methods to receive and transport the bridge components from the site.
- Present a timeline for relocation, reassembly, and restoration of the bridge.
- Maintain the structure and the features that give it historic significance according to prescribed standards.
- Assume all future legal and financial responsibility for the structure, including hold harmless agreements to CTDOT and FHWA, and post a performance bond.
- Provide proof of availability to maintain financial and administrative responsibilities of the bridge’s preservation. The maximum assistance that may be available for the transport and rehabilitation of the bridge will not exceed CTDOT’s estimated cost of transport and disposing of the structure.
- Priority will be given to a new owner that will use the entire superstructure of the truss bridge (three truss spans) in a transportation-related capacity. If no proposal is submitted that meets this requirement, proposals for use of complete span sections of the bridge will be considered.
Those interested in obtaining ownership of the bridge for aesthetic, historic, recreation, or other preservation uses should contact Heather Carpini-Prescott, CTDOT Transportation Planner 2 – Architectural Historian at heather.carpini-prescott@ct.gov or 860-594-2437. Letters of Interest may be sent via email, but must be received by the close of business on April 17, 2026.
CTDOT reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to withdraw this invitation at any time, before or after submissions are received.
MORE ABOUT THE CRIBARI BRIDGE:
The historic Saugatuck River Swing Bridge (State Bridge No. 01349), also known as the “William F. Cribari Memorial Bridge” and the “Bridge Street Bridge” in Westport, carries Route 136 over the Saugatuck River and currently has a fair condition rating. It is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also listed as a contributing resource to the Bridge Street Historic District.
The Saugatuck River Swing Bridge was constructed in 1884 by the Union Bridge Company of Buffalo, New York as a wrought iron, pin-connected swing bridge. The original bridge consisted of three Pratt truss spans, supporting the load of the bridge, which were supported by four masonry piers.
The western section of the bridge consists of two Pratt truss spans that meet at the pivot pier, which was originally masonry that is currently encased in concrete and steel plate. Its machinery allows it to swing 90 degrees to open the channel for boat traffic on the Saugatuck River.
The eastern section is a single Pratt truss that is supported by original masonry piers at either end and a 1991 concrete pier at the center of the span. Rehabilitation and repair efforts on the bridge have included replacing the original wooden deck with an open steel grid deck and later a rigid platform deck; replacement of the original swing machinery; and removing the original horizontal and vertical trusses and replacing them as non-loadbearing elements.
