Blumenthal, Murphy, Lamont, Himes Announce DOT Awarded $29 Million Grant to Replace Walk River Bridge

(HARTFORD, CT) – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Governor Ned Lamont, U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-4), and Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Commissioner Joseph J. Giulietti announced CTDOT will receive $29,900,000 through a Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair grant. The federal funding will be used to replace the existing movable Walk River Bridge in Norwalk with two independent two-track lift rail bridges, as well as to make necessary improvements to the embankments and retaining walls on the bridge approaches, new catenary structures, and signal system upgrades.

“This $29 million grant will provide Connecticut with the necessary funding to make critical improvements and important safety updates to the Walk Bridge – finally replacing its aged system to enter the 21st century. Commuters along the northeast corridor rely on the fast and reliable service on Amtrak and the New Haven Line – maintaining the safety and reliability of our infrastructure must always remain a priority,” said Blumenthal. “I will continue to fight for federal funding to ensure that we are continuously investing in Connecticut’s rail and transportation infrastructure”

“This is great news. The current Norwalk Walk Bridge has outlived its lifespan and has caused major headaches for commuters on Metro-North and Amtrak. This significant and much-needed federal investment that I helped secure will go a long way to increase the reliability of the line and speed of service for commuters,” said Murphy.

“Upgrading Connecticut’s outdated transportation infrastructure has been a priority of mine since I became Governor. Our economy and our future depend upon it. The replacement of the Walk Bridge is critical to the reliability of the New Haven Line and the entire Northeast Corridor,” said Governor Lamont. “This new federal funding is great news for our economy and for our residents who rely on this system every day.”

“Rebuilding the Walk Bridge in Norwalk is key for the state and the region. The Connecticut Congressional delegation has been working as hard as possible to secure these funds to aid in its completion as we look for every available avenue to alleviate congestion, shorten commutes, and boost commerce for working families in our state. This is a big win with enormous upside,” said Himes. 

“This is very good news and I want to thank our federal congressional delegation and federal partners for their support in securing this funding,” said Commissioner Giulietti. “This grant award is the result of a historic partnership between Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation. In response to recent regional policy changes in how railroads share the cost of maintaining their infrastructure, Amtrak and the Department sought federal participation to cover a proportional share of the cost of replacing the bridge, based on the amount of Amtrak intercity service that uses it. This award is an acknowledgement that the New Haven Line is critical to providing fast and reliable service along the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington.”

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