12/05/2025
This morning, Mayor Rilling, Common Council President and Mayor-elect Barbara Smyth, Common Council Member Jim Frayer, City Officials from the Department of Public Works and members of the CT Department of Transportation (CT DOT) cut the ribbon for the newly constructed West Cedar Bridge over the Five Mile River and reopened West Cedar Street to traffic.
The bridge had been under construction since April, after CTDOT determined it was in poor condition following a routine inspection in 2022.
As a result, the City of Norwalk secured funding for a full bridge replacement through Federal and State Funds, administered by the Federal Local Bridge Program.
Mayor Rilling thanked CT DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto and his team for working closely with our team on this effort and administering the funding for the reconstruction of the bridge. He also thanked our Department of Public Works and Operations Chief, Vanessa Valadares, and Senior Civil Engineer, Paul Sotnik, who managed this project and did a great job.
DPW made sure this project addressed both engineering needs and historic aesthetic considerations. The replacement structure is a precast concrete arch with stone masonry facing, providing a design that is both durable and visually consistent with the surrounding area. In addition to being wider and meeting modern transportation standards, the bridge has been engineered to satisfy 100-year storm hydraulic requirements, ensuring improved safety and resilience for decades to come.